14 Signs of Epstein Barr Virus

Epstein Barr Virus infection is extremely common, probably more common than you think. It’s estimated that over 95% of all the world’s population is infected with this virus. This infection is colloquially known as the mono, or kissing disease, due to the fact that it’s transmitted through the bodily liquid exchange, such as when kissing.

Most infected people go on with their life as a carrier, meaning the virus does not show any visible effects on their system. It just stays dormant in the system.

However, for some people, the virus may reactivate during stressful periods of their lives and cause many syndromes that can be mistaken for other illnesses. Knowing the common signs of Epstein Barr Virus is the very first step towards fighting the infection.

During the time of reactivation, the person becomes a contagious source and it lasts a few weeks or longer even after the symptoms have disappeared.

1. Fatigue or Malaise

If you have been feeling under the weather for weeks without any apparent reason, chances are you have contracted EBV and the virus is active in your system.

Since many diseases have fatigue among their list of symptoms, it’s not always easy to pinpoint your fatigue condition to EBV infection. You may experience fatigue for weeks or even months after you initially contracted the virus.

There are cases where the fatigue continues for more than 6 months after the initial infection. If you have been experiencing prolonged tiredness that prevents you from functioning normally, and no medication or conventional treatment seems to work, maybe it’s time to discuss the possibility of a special blood test that detects EBV in your system.

All herpesviruses remain in your body forever, they just stay dormant most of the time. Your immune system has a good mechanism to keep these bad guys in check. If, however, for some reason, your immune system stops working properly, the virus could gain a foothold and that’s when a reactivation happens.