Library · Microorganism
Epstein-Barr virus
Make it clearer
Epstein-Barr virus is a virus in the herpes family. Its genetic material is double-stranded DNA, and it targets B lymphocytes, the white blood cells that make antibodies. It spreads mainly through saliva.
To get in, it uses glycoproteins on its envelope, proteins with sugar attached to them that work like hooks to grab onto the cell. Once inside, it does not bring its own factory: it uses the B lymphocyte's machinery to copy its genome. And it does something else. It pushes the B lymphocyte to turn into a memory B cell, a cell that lasts a long time, and there the virus can stay latent, that is, dormant, until something wakes it up. It settles into a cell that lasts for years and sits there quietly.
That is why it is so common. About 95% of adults worldwide have already been infected at some point. And this virus causes infectious mononucleosis.
In brief
Epstein-Barr virus is a double-stranded DNA virus in the herpes family that infects B lymphocytes and spreads mainly through saliva.
Its envelope glycoproteins let it get in; once inside, it uses the B lymphocyte's machinery to copy itself and pushes the cell to become a memory B cell, where it can stay latent.
It settles into a cell that lasts for years and sits there quietly.
About 95% of adults worldwide have already been infected, and this virus causes infectious mononucleosis.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingEpstein-Barr Virus, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated