General description

Epstein-Barr (EB) virus infection, attributable to Herpesvirus type 4, manifests as a prevalent condition. Data indicate that approximately 50% of children by the age of five years and nearly 90% of adults have experienced an EB virus infection.

Predominantly, infections by the EB virus proceed without symptomatic manifestations. Following the primary infection phase, the EB virus establishes latency akin to other Herpesviruses, predominantly within the white blood cells. It is during this latency period that individuals intermittently excrete the virus in their saliva, facilitating the potential transmission to others despite the absence of symptomatic presentation.

Moreover, the EB virus demonstrates a capacity to infect various components of the nervous system, ranging from the central to the peripheral domains, consequently eliciting disturbances such as impaired consciousness and myelomeningitis.