Epstein-Barr Virus Infections Including Infectious Mononucleosis

Abstract

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the cause of heterophile-positive infectious mononucleosis (IM), which is characterized by fever, sore throat, lymphadenopathy, and atypical lymphocytosis. EBV is also associated with several tumors, including nasopharyngeal and gastric carcinoma, Burkitt’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and (in patients with immunodeficiencies) B cell lymphoma. The virus is a member of the family Herpesviridae. The two types of EBV that are widely prevalent in nature are not distinguishable by conventional serologic tests.