Article
Article
Epstein-Barr virus
Article By:
Melnick, Joseph L. Department of Virology and Epidemiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
Last reviewed:December 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.239000
An antigenically distinct member of the herpesvirus group of viruses, whose genome is deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Under electron-microscopic observation, the mature virus is indistinguishable in size and structure from the other human herpesviruses; that is, it has a nucleocapsid about 110 nanometers in diameter and when an envelope is present, the particle diameter is about 180 nm. The 78-nm central core, which is often observed in other herpesviruses, is not clearly visible in Epstein-Barr (EB) particles within infected cells and few of the intracellular particles possess an envelope. Only about 10% of the extracellular virus particles are enveloped.
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