Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), stained with Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)
Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), stained with Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)

Image source: National Cancer Institute

News • Corona and EBV

Long Covid symptoms likely caused by Epstein-Barr virus reactivation

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation resulting from the inflammatory response to coronavirus infection may be the cause of previously unexplained long Covid symptoms—such as fatigue, brain fog, and rashes—that occur in approximately 30% of patients after recovery from initial Covid-19 infection.

The first evidence linking EBV reactivation to long Covid, as well as an analysis of long Covid prevalence, is outlined in a new long Covid study published in the journal Pathogens. "We ran EBV antibody tests on recovered Covid-19 patients, comparing EBV reactivation rates of those with long Covid symptoms to those without long Covid symptoms," said lead study author Jeffrey E. Gold of World Organization. "The majority of those with long Covid symptoms were positive for EBV reactivation, yet only 10% of controls indicated reactivation."

Recommended article

Photo

Article • Post-hospitalisation

New study reveals impact of 'Long Covid'

Recovery duration, co-morbidities, mortality, risk groups: A large UK study reports in detail on 'Long Covid'. We spoke with two of the study's co-investigators about why so many patients are still affected after a coronavirus infection.

The researchers began by surveying 185 randomly selected patients recovered from Covid-19 and found that 30.3% had long term symptoms consistent with long Covid after initial recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection. This included several patients with initially asymptomatic Covid-19 cases who later went on to develop long Covid symptoms. The researchers then found, in a subset of 68 Covid-19 patients randomly selected from those surveyed, that 66.7% of long Covid subjects versus 10% of controls were positive for EBV reactivation based on positive EBV early antigen-diffuse (EA-D) IgG or EBV viral capsid antigen (VCA) IgM titers. The difference was significant (p < 0.001, Fisher's exact test). "We found similar rates of EBV reactivation in those who had long Covid symptoms for months, as in those with long Covid symptoms that began just weeks after testing positive for Covid-19," said coauthor David J. Hurley, Ph.D., a professor and molecular microbiologist at the University of Georgia. "This indicated to us that EBV reactivation likely occurs simultaneously or soon after Covid-19 infection."

Photo
Skin manifestations of six long Covid subjects positive for EBV reactivation (two photos of each subject)

Image source: Gold et al., Pathogens 2021 (CC BY 4.0)

The relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and EBV reactivation described in this study opens up new possibilities for long Covid diagnosis and treatment. The researchers indicated that it may be prudent to test patients newly positive for Covid-19 for evidence of EBV reactivation indicated by positive EBV EA-D IgG, EBV VCA IgM, or serum EBV DNA tests. If patients show signs of EBV reactivation, they can be treated early to reduce the intensity and duration of EBV replication, which may help inhibit the development of long Covid.

"As evidence mounts supporting a role for EBV reactivation in the clinical manifestation of acute Covid-19, this study further implicates EBV in the development of long Covid," said Lawrence S. Young, Ph.D., a virologist at the University of Warwick, and Editor-in-Chief of Pathogens. "If a direct role for EBV reactivation in long Covid is supported by further studies, this would provide opportunities to improve the rational diagnosis of this condition and to consider the therapeutic value of anti-herpesvirus agents such as ganciclovir." 


Source: World Organization                                                                                              

24.06.2021

Read all latest stories

Related articles

Photo

News • Ultraviolet disinfection

Scientists discover how UV light destroys the coronavirus

Researchers from the University of Southampton investigated how ultraviolet laser light destroys the coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 by impacting components critical for infection.

Photo

News • Using AI nanopores

New rapid testing method for Covid-19

Researchers from Osaka University present a novel technique to detect different coronavirus variants quickly, including fast-spreading strains present in human saliva.

Photo

News • Evolution of Sars-CoV-2

Coronavirus model predicts new variants

What does the future of the coronavirus look like? An international research team from Cologne and New York has developed a model to predict the likely evolution of Sars-CoV-2.

Related products

Subscribe to Newsletter