05/02/2026
Why one of the world's most common viruses may have lifelong consequences for you đź”˝
The study, which analysed genetic information from nearly 750,000 people, including UK Biobank participants, uncovered 22 genes that make people prone to persistent infections with the Epstein-Barr virus, which can cause glandular fever and has been linked to long-term health problems.
People with these genes tend to have high levels of the virus in their blood years after they’d first been infected – and are more likely to develop certain cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or one of hundreds of other serious conditions.
Infectious disease specialist Alexander Mentzer from University of Oxford đź’¬
"[This study] highlights that infection has so much importance for public health – not just for people when they’re acutely unwell, but from a long-term perspective."
Read the full research story: https://ow.ly/nhtq50Y9cYA
The research was done in collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, AstraZeneca, Baylor College of Medicine âś…
