As Links to MS Deepen, Researchers Accelerate Efforts to Develop an Epstein-Barr Vaccine

October 20, 2022

(Kaiser Health News) – Although childhood Epstein-Barr infections are typically mild, exposure in teens and young adults can lead to infectious mononucleosis, a weeks-long illness that sickens 125,000 Americans a year, causing sore throats, swollen glands, and extreme fatigue. And while Epstein-Barr spends most of its time sleeping, it can reawaken during times of stress or when the immune system is off its game. Those reactivations are linked to a long list of serious health conditions, including several types of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Scientists have spent years trying to develop vaccines against Epstein-Barr, or EBV. But recently several leaps in medical research have provided more urgency to the quest — and more hope for success. (Read More)