Herpes Viruses and Lyme Disease

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As a retired RN, I get very aggravated with the multitude of outrageous and outright incorrect medical information being passed off as valid information on some blogs! Until today I’ve avoided jumping in, but I just couldn’t let this one pass. The various comments are _so_ outlandish, I feel conflicted about even posting them, lest someone take the comments out of context to show the reverse of the truth. You know what I mean?

This question was posted on an alcohol abuse blog just started on Feb 8th:

“I was diagnosed with EBV (Epstein-Barr Herpes virus) 10 years ago and got diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Depression 5 yrs ago-is there a connection and if so where can I obtain information. If anyone can help-Thank You!”

A reasoned reply would be that the EBV/CFS connection had been researched and found that EBV did not cause CFS.

Instead, the anonymous “admin” stated:

“EBV only lasts in the body for no more than 2 years and that’s in severe cases. Most people only have it for about 6 months. There’s no way you could’ve had it 5 years ago much less now. Once the body overcomes EBV - or any virus - it builds antibodies to protect itself. You are not at risk for contracting it again.” WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!!

Next anonymous comment:

“Initially it was believed that EBV was connected somehow to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but they are two completely different illnesses.  The bottom line is that EBV is really just an expanded version of mono - they are both herpes viruses.(WRONG! EBV and mono are the same!) http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/fibromyalgia/fibrofs.htm. (This link has nothing to do with viruses.) That’s a good place to learn more about Fibromyalgia. It is *not* a form of arthritis, just a relative. (THAT’S A STRETCH) I’d love to elaborate but I’ve got to be a good answer fairy and keep it movin. Ask a specialist if you have further questions. Best wishes”

Then:

“terr*****
Posted February 8, 2010 at 8:06 pm | Permalink
I also had EBV and shortly thereafter diagnosed with fibromyalgia. EBV and fibromyalgia are commonly found together. Fibromyalgia is lumped in with rheumatology. Maybe the Arthritis Foundation would be a good start.
References :”

Finally, the one that had me screaming at the screen:

"Peahi******
Posted February 8, 2010 at 8:21 pm
Is there a connection? No. Here’s one reason why. EBV only lasts in the body for no more than 2 years and that’s in severe cases. Most people only have it for about 6 months. There’s no way you could’ve had it 5 years ago muchless now. Once the body overcomes EBV - or any virus - it builds antibodies to protect itself. You are not at risk for contracting it again. Initially it was believed that EBV was connected somehow to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but they are two completely different illnesses. The bottom line is that EBV is really just an expanded version of mono - they are both herpes viruses. http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/fibromyalgia/fibrofs.htm.
That’s a good place to learn more about Fibromyalgia. It is *not* a form of arthritis, just a relative. I’d love to elaborate but I’ve got to be a good answer fairy and keep it movin. Ask a specialist if you have further questions. Best wishes. References : Straight from the mouth of a doctor and medical books I keep. I’m just re-wording it."(finished with a smiley-face emoticon)

Did you notice that all three responses sound the same, draw the same conclusions, and two share the same weak link?

This was my answer:

Since I am, a person that has been diagnosed with chronic relapsing Epstein-Barr (EBV) since 1985 (based on blood work), I was most interested in following the comments and links, but I could not find any peer-reviewed research that confirms the earlier comments about EBV never lasting more than 2 years in a person.

When discussing any virus and Fibromyalgia, CFS, Lyme Disease, MS and others, the key is the quality of one’s immune system. Very many of us have been found to have immune system deficiencies and that is why EBV (& other viruses like HSV, HHV-6, CMV, etc) reactivation becomes important.

Research has proven that EBV does not cause FM or CFS. However, new research has shown that the XRMV virus can be found in a large percentage of us. If it causes CFS remains to be seen. While EBV infects over 90% of the population worldwide and, like other herpes viruses (HSV, HHV-6, CMV, etc) it is able to establish a lifelong latent infection with intermittent reactivation. EBV is mostly transmitted through saliva, and primary infection usually occurs without infection in infancy and childhood. However, in industrialized countries, infection may not take place until adolescence or young adulthood, causing infectious mononucleosis in over 50% of cases.

After a primary infection, EBV persists in us in latently infected memory B-cells (part of the White Blood Count) with occasional shedding into saliva (which means it is being passed and we are contagious again). EBV viral loads (the amount of EBV in the system) in normal adults (healthy carriers) are usually undetectable. Although the virus rarely causes disease in immunocompetent (healthy) individuals, latent genes are potentially cancer causing and EBV has been associated with a wide variety of lymphoid and epithelial diseases, both benign and cancerous.

EBV may infect almost any organ and infection might be associated to complications, such as neurological involvement, including Guillain-Barré syndrome, inflammation of the heart, or liver failure, amongst others. Pneumonitis (lung inflammation) has been associated with chronic active EBV infection and primary infection, both in children and in adults, and pleural effusion (water in the lungs) has been observed as a rare complication of EBV infection.

In conclusion, Epstein-Barr does remain capable of reactivation when one’s immune system is less than healthy, causing problems from as simple as severe fatigue right through very dangerous conditions. Antiviral drugs are able to diminish the viral load of EBV to a point they do not cause symptoms. Medical doctors should be consulted for treatment.

Please be aware that all Herpes viruses can be transmitted through sexual contact.

References:
http://erj.ersjournals.com/cgi/content/full/26/4/566
NIH Library (PubMed) References:
Babcock GJ, Decker LL, Volk M, Thorley-Lawson DA. EBV persistence in memory B cells in vivo. Immunity 1998;9:395–404
Wagner HJ, Bein G, Bitsch A, Kirchner H. Detection and quantification of latently infected B lymphocytes in Epstein-Barr virus-seropositive, healthy individuals by polymerase chain reaction. J Clin Microbiol 1992;30:2826–2829

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