Capital of India Sees Increased EBV Infection Rates

A record number of Epstein Bar Virus (EBV) infections in the capital of India have been recorded this month.

The Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease (CBCD) has just learned that officials have noted that infections have gone viral. The highly-infectious mononucleosis – also known as the “kissing disease” is commonly found in the developed world.

Mononucleosis is spread regularly through saliva and close contact, such as kissing, and that is how the informal “kissing disease” name originated .

Several hospitals in New Delhi said they identified cases of mononucleosis, caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, during laboratory tests of patients’ mucus and blood samples.

One doctor noted, “In most people, the virus may be present in a mild form or may even be asymptomatic. Thus, it can go undetected unless proper screening tests are done.”

The fact that this outbreak of the Epstein Bar Virus has occurred in India’s capitol is of interest to the CBCD since one of its main areas of research and study is latent viruses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states concerning EBV, “In the United States and in other developed countries, many persons are not infected with EBV in their childhood years. When infection with EBV occurs during adolescence or young adulthood, it causes infectious mononucleosis 35% to 50% of the time.”

Why is this important?

This is significant because there is currently no cure for an Epstein Barr virus infection although the CBCD certainly hopes that this new EBV Atlas will help in the development of a cure.