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Epstein-Barr virus infection status among first year undergraduate university students
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Epstein-Barr virus infection status among first year undergraduate university students

Allen Choi, Kathryn Marcus, Danielle Pohl, Patrick Ten Eyck, Henry Balfour and J Brooks Jackson
Journal of American college health, Vol.70(1), pp.22-25
02/26/2020
DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2020.1726927
PMID: 32101103
url
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/7832088View
Open Access

Abstract

Objective: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the cause of infectious mononucleosis, which disproportionately affects university students. This population has the potential to benefit from a prophylactic EBV vaccine trial. Our objectives were to determine EBV infection status and associated demographic/lifestyle factors among first year undergraduate university students at the beginning and end of first year. Methods: EBV infection status was assessed by testing for circulating IgG class antibodies against EBV viral capsid antigen. Results: Of 198 starting students; 56.1% were positive for EBV antibodies with a higher rate in women (64.8%) than male (41.1%); p = 0.002. A history of deep kissing was associated with a higher rate of EBV antibody positivity. On follow-up 8 months later at the end of freshman year, 22.4% had acquired EBV antibodies for a primary infection incidence of 33.6/100 person years. Conclusion: These findings indicate that our first year undergraduate population contains sufficient EBV-naïve subjects for a prophylactic vaccine trial.
 Epstein-Barr Virus EBV antibody EBV seroprevalence immunity university first year students

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