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Originally Posted by ginnie
I had no idea you could get a relapse of the Epstein Barr Virus. Good grief...didn't know it stayed in the body. ginnie  |
Yup—just like chicken pox. You can also get mono more than once.
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EBV infects B cells of the immune system and epithelial cells. Once the virus's initial lytic infection is brought under control, EBV latently persists in the individual's B cells for the rest of the individual's life.
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Latent EBV in B cells can be reactivated to switch to lytic replication. This is known to happen in vivo, but what triggers it is not known precisely. In vitro, latent EBV in B cells can be reactivated by stimulating the B cell receptor, so reactivation in vivo probably takes place when latently infected B cells respond to unrelated infections.[10] In vitro, latent EBV in B cells can also be reactivated by treating the cells with sodium butyrate or TPA.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epstein%E2%80%93Barr_virus
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Infectious mononucleosis (IM; also known as mono, glandular fever, Pfeiffer's disease, Filatov's disease,[1] and sometimes colloquially as the kissing disease from its oral transmission) is an infectious, widespread viral disease caused by the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), one type of herpes virus, against which over 90% of adults are likely to have acquired immunity by the age of 40.[2][3] Occasionally, the symptoms can recur at a later period.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infectious_mononucleosis
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It was not a relapse in the usual sense—I didn't get mono again. I got a common rhinovirus, which in turn reactivated the EBV in such a way as to cause chronic headaches (both tension-type and migraine). I can't tell you why—that's what "the headache guy" (neurologist) told me. He was familiar with the syndrome and its cause—nailed it with 3 questions (after being bounced between other neuros for 2-3 years). Gave me an info sheet about it. That's why I encourage folks to find other "headache guys"—neuros who specialize in headaches
only. They
know more.
Doc