| The Epstein-Barr virus is one of the most common human viruses, with more than 90% of people in the world being infected at some point of their lives. It’s spread by saliva and causes mononucleosis, known as the “kissing disease.” Though EBV generally causes mild flu-like symptoms, it has been linked to immune dysfunctions, lymphomas and nose and stomach cancers. A recent study by Chinese scientists and the International Agency for Research suggests the virus could be even more dangerous. The study looked at antibodies produced in response to EBV infection and found they were associated with much higher risks of contracting cancers. The study was published earlier this month in Nature Communications. The researchers followed two cohorts of nearly 74,000 adults in southern China for 8 to 10 years, and found that individuals who tested positive for EBV VCA-IgA, an antibody produced in response to the virus, were nearly five times more likely to develop cancer compared with people who tested negative. The biggest risk increase by far — 26 times — was for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a cancer of the throat in the area behind the nose, but risks for lymphoma, liver and lung cancer also increased. The team estimated that almost 8% of the total cancer burden in southern China could be attributed to this particular herpesvirus. “Although the association of EBV infection with certain cancer types is well established, there have been less data on its broader cancer risk,” Zisis Kozlakidis, one of the authors of the new study, said in a press release. Though EBV was for years dismissed as a mild rite of passage, the increasingly strong evidence that it’s a trigger for more serious diseases has spurred efforts to develop a vaccine, something that could have a significant impact on public health. — Karoline Kan | 
