Viral infection of Epstein-Barr: relevance, epidemiology, clinic, treatment

Viral infection Epstein-Barr (infectious mononucleosis) is an acute infectious viral disease. It is characterized by a fever, an increase in lymph nodes, a lesion of the lymphatic ring of the oropharynx, a hepatolienal syndrome.

Relevance

There is a viral infection Epstein-Barr mainly in childhood and is an indicator of immunodeficiency of the body. The causative agent is the herpes virus, which has sensitivity to the lymphoid tissue. This is where the virus reproduces. It is believed that this virus can contribute to the occurrence of cancer of the oral cavity, lymphoma of Berkit. Syndrome infectious mononucleosis can occur with another pathogen, which is sensitive to lymphoid tissue.

Epidemiology

Infection occurs from a patient or carrier of a person's infection during close contact. The most susceptible to the disease are children aged 2-7 years in the winter-spring period.

Pathogenesis

The viral infection of Epstein-Barr has a sensitivity to the lymphoid system. Therefore, the causative agent is introduced more often through the lymphoid ring of the pharynx. This phenomenon is associated with the appearance of edema and reddening of the mucosa, difficulty in nasal breathing.

From the hearth of the introduction of the virus spreads throughout the body through blood and lymph. In this case, lymph nodes, spleen, liver, bone marrow are affected, reactive hyperplastic processes develop, organs are enlarged in volume.

Epstein-Barr virus infection: symptoms

After 5-20 days after infection sharply rises to 40 ^о С temperature, the state of health worsens, nasal breathing becomes more difficult, there is a pain in the throat. The neck is noticeably deformed due to enlarged lymph nodes. Simultaneously, all peripheral and visceral nodes increase. Tonsils swollen, swollen, with a white-yellow or dirty-gray bloom. This leads to shortness of breath. On the skin there is a wide variety of rashes without clear localization. Hepatosplenomegaly is a common occurrence. There is a small yellow skin and sclera, signs of hepatitis.

Diagnostics

When a blood test is found, leukocytosis up to 20-30 thousand units, an increase in the number of monocytes, an increase in bilirubin, ALT. When conducting PCR, the DNA of the virus in the blood serum is detected with the determination of its quantity. With high efficiency, hemagglutination, latex-agglutination, ELISA, IgG and IgM reactions are used.

Epstein-Barr virus infection: treatment

The use of interferons, acyclovir, and cycloferon in the acute period gives contradictory results. When attaching a secondary purulent infection and with severe forms of the disease, it is advisable to use antibiotics (acyclovir) and steroids: in moderate doses of prednisolone. The use of ampicillin is contraindicated, since it induces the occurrence of an autoimmune reaction.

Forecast

In the territory of the former USSR, the virus infection of Epstein-Barr did not give a single lethal outcome. Cases of a fatal outcome as a result of the arisen complications are described: rupture of the spleen, encephalitis, myocarditis. In rare cases, the infection is chronic.