Neurological Symptoms Related To Epstein Barr Virus
The Epstein Barr virus is a common human virus. It causes infectious mononucleosis and can be transmitted through bodily fluids, primarily saliva. It has been associated with various neurological symptoms including headaches, vision changes, seizures but also encephalitis.
What Is The Epstein Barr Virus?
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a virus belonging to the herpes virus family. It is one of the most common viruses to infect people globally [1, 2]. In fact, around 90% of the human world’s population carries it as a life-long latent infection of B lymphocytes [3, 4].
Once the individual is infected, this virus exhibits a marked B-cell tropism. In other words, this means that it infects B lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cell [1, 2].
In children, this virus usually does not cause any symptoms, however in adolescents and adults, in can cause an illness called infectious mononucleosis. We typically observe infectious mononucleosis in about 35-50% of cases [5, 6].
EBV is often referred to as “the kissing disease” mainly because it is an orally transmitted virus that spreads through saliva [5].
However, EBV can be associated with a variety of diseases such as cancers or lymphoproliferative disorders. With respect to cancers, it has been associated with cancers like nasopharyngeal carcinoma and Burkitt's lymphoma. Apart from this, it has been linked to autoimmune conditions such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis [2, 7].
What Are The Transmission Mechanisms of EBV?
As previousely mentioned, the most common type of transmission is oral transmission. However, EBV can also be transmitted via other routes, such as sharing food and utensils, or other bodily fluids.
What Are The Neurological Symptoms Caused By Epstein Barr Virus?
EBV can cause a variety of neurological symptoms. These can vary from mild to severe.
For instance, the most common neurological symptom of EBV is encephalitis (brain inflammation). Patients experiencing this can have prolonged fever, reduced consciousness and neck stiffness [8].
Meningitis is another neurological disorder associated with EBV. It refers to the inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and the spinal cord called the meninges.
EBV can also cause inflammation of the nerves called cranial or peripheral neuritis, depending on which nerves it affects [8]. In fact, it can also cause Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which is a rare neurological condition attacking the peripheral nerves [9, 10].
EBV can also cause weakness in all of our limbs. This condition is called the acute quadriparesis [11].
Seizures, headaches or changed vision have also been reported [12, 13]. In rare cases, EBV can cause unusual neurological manifestations such as acute hemiplegic migraine syndrome, acute psychosis, and severe, generalized chorea, a movement disorder characterized by involuntary, irregular movements.