What is the full form of EBV
EBV: Epstein – Barr virus
EBV stands for Epstein – Barr virus. It is a virus that belongs to herpes virus family. It is also known as human herpesvirus (HHV-4). EBV is the prime cause of infectious mononucleosis. It also causes certain types of cancers like Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Burkitt’s lymphoma, gastric cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
This virus mainly spreads through saliva, e.g. when you kiss an infected person, drink water using infected person’s glass or use his or her toothbrush. So, it is also referred to as kissing disease. It is also found in blood and semen so there are chances that it may spread through blood transfusion, sex or organ transplant.
EBV is around 122-180 nm in diameter. It has a double helix of DNA which contains around 172,000 base pairs and 85 genes. The DNA is surrounded by nucleocapsid which in turn surrounded by Tegument. The tegument is surrounded by an envelope containing both lipids and glycoproteins in the form of surface projections which infect the host cells.
An EBV test, which is a blood test and also known as “EBV antibodies”, is conducted to identify an EBV infection. This test detects the antibodies produced against EBV antigens.
Common Symptoms
The Symptoms may take 4 to 6 weeks to appear, after the EBV infection. Some of the common symptoms are as follows:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Sore throat
- Lack of appetite
- Muscle aches and headaches
- Swollen glands in the neck