Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection

From WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

Alternate names[edit | edit source]

CEBV; CAEBV infection; Chronic active Epstein-Barr disease

Definition[edit | edit source]

Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection (CAEBV) is a very rare complication of an Epstein Barr virus (EBV) infection.

Epidemiology[edit | edit source]

  • The exact number of people who have chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection (CAEBV) is unknown.
  • About 95% of people will become infected with the Epstein-Barr virus by adulthood.
  • Only a small number of these people will develop CAEBV.

Cause[edit | edit source]

  • Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection (CAEBV) is a rare complication of having Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).
  • About 95% of people become infected with the EBV by adulthood and many will have no symptoms.
  • CAEBV occurs when an EBV infection doesn't go away and the virus remains "active".
  • This allows the symptoms of an EBV infection to persist and get worse over time.
  • It is not known why some people develop CAEBV and others do not.

Signs and symptoms[edit | edit source]

Signs and symptoms include:

  • Fever
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Enlarged liver (hepatomegaly)
  • Enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)
  • Anemia
  • Nerve damage
  • Liver failure
  • Pneumonia
  • About 95% of people become infected by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) sometime in their life and most never have any health problems.
  • Some people with EBV will develop infectious mononucleosis or other illnesses, and will recover with no other problems.
  • Only rarely will an EBV infection develop into CAEBV.
  • Over time, CAEBV can lead to failure of the immune system which, if not treated, can lead to potentially life-threatening complications.

Diagnosis[edit | edit source]

  • Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection (CAEBV) is diagnosed based on the symptoms, a clinical exam and high EBV DNA in the blood which persists for at least 3 months.
  • A test known as a quantitative PCR test is used to measure the amount of EBV DNA.

Treatment[edit | edit source]

Treatment for chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection (CAEBV) includes medication to help manage the symptoms. Hematopoietic stem-cell transplant is currently the only curative treatment for this condition. Specialists involved in the care of someone with CAEBV may include:



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NIH genetic and rare disease info[edit source]

Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection is a rare disease.


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