ABSTRACT
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was isolated in 1964 from a cell line established from an African Burkitt’s lymphoma biopsy. 1 This virus has been recognized as the etiologic agent of infectious mononucleosis, and has been implicated as the causative agent of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and African Burkitt’s lymphoma. 2 EBV is a member of the human herpesviruses, and contains a linear double-stranded DNA molecule with a molecular weight of 100 × 10 6 daltons. 5 , 6 Bone marrow-derived lymphocytes (B-lymphocytes) are the natural host of the virus, for, apart from the fact that these cells possess receptors for the virus, they have been shown to carry the viral genome in vivo. 7
