American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 119, No. 3: 392-395
Copyright © 1984 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
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FAILURE TO ACQUIRE EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS INFECTION AFTER INTIMATE EXPOSURE TO THE VIRUS
1Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, CA 95616. (Send reprint requests to Dr. Chang at this address.)
2Kaiser Foundation Medical Center Sacramento, CA
Chang, R. S. (U. of California, School of Medicine, Davis, CA 95616), and C. T. Le. Failure to acquire Epstein-Barr virus infection after intimate exposure to the virus. Am J Epidemiol 1984; 119: 3925.
In 1981, 54 Epstein-Barr virus-seronegstive pregnant women in the Sacramento-Davis area of California were observed prospectively for an average duration of 12.1 months for Epstein-Barr virus-seroconversion. Only one se-roconverted. Two of the 54 women remained negative for Epstein-Barr virus antibody 4.55.0 months after their husbands were proved to be Epstein-Barr virus excreters. Short of experimental pharyngeal introduction of the virus into human volunteers, these data provide the most direct evidence possible that the intimate exposure of Epstein-Barr virus-seronegative adults to the virus does not necessarily result in infection.
Epstein-Barr virus; resistance factors