No, the Epstein-Barr virus has nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein nor Rosanne Barr. Let us explain.

What is the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)?

The Epstein-Barr virus is a human herpesvirus 4. Its closest known relatives are viruses that infect our primate cousins. At this point in time, no one knows how the human population got it but theories are that we inherited it from our species’ primate form and it got passed down as we evolved.

It’s hard to escape it. Almost everyone on the planet gets it at some point. The odd thing about it is that once you get it, it stays in your body for life. It sleeps quietly in a few of your immune cells. For most people, it’s a non-issue after the first encounter.

How Do We Get Infected?

It is known as “the kissing disease” for a reason, but that’s only part of the story. The virus lives and is transmitted through saliva. Almost all adults are innocent carriers. You don’t need to get kissed to get it. Kissing is just a possible route. You can also get it when you share drinks, utensils, and toothbrushes. Although it is not as airborne as the flu, you can also catch it when someone sneezes or coughs.

You’re most likely to catch it during childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood.

How Do We Know We Have It?

This is where it gets interesting. It completely depends on which part of our life we get infected.

Children often show no symptoms. If they do, it would probably manifest as a mild, brief cold which means the immune system dealt with it easily.

However, four out of 10 people get it as a teen or adult. This is when it can get chaotic and cause an illness called Infectious Mononucleosis or simply called “Mono.” Symptoms are more obvious and the immune system launches a massive and aggressive attack making the person feel terrible with symptoms like:

• Severe fatigue or deep, heavy exhaustionFever
• Sore throat that sometimes manifest with white patches
• Swollen lymph nodes or lumps in your neck and armpits
• Body pain
• Swollen spleen or liver

This acute Mono phase will last for weeks but the tiredness can linger for months.

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