Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a member of the herpes virus family. ​

EBV is the first human tumor virus discovered and is strongly implicated in the etiology of multiple lymphoid and epithelial cancers, such as Burkitt lymphoma (BL), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and gastric carcinoma (GC). ​

There are no vaccines or treatments against EBV infection. ​

EBV is also the primary cause of infectious mononucleosis that could cause persistent fatigue for up to 6 months and cause severe neurologic, hematologic, or liver complications.​

EBV has been shown to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.​