Malaria and Epstein-Barr Virus: A Lethal Combination

A recent study in PLOS Pathogens investigates how Epstein-Barr virus and malaria co-infection may create a lethal combination if the timing is right. Epstein-Barr virus and malaria are two infections that can each be controlled on their own, but a new study in PLOS Pathogens shows that co-infection can perhaps become more lethal than each infection alone, providing one possible explanation for why young children are so much more vulnerable to severe malaria. The study, led by Samuel H. Speck and Tracey J. Lamb of the Emory University School of Medicine finds that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may contribute to the development of severe malaria and malaria-related deaths in sub-Saharan African children. Almost all African children will be infected with both Epstein-Barr virus and malaria by the age of 6-12 months. Because both of these infections occur around the same time in these children, many are at a high risk for co-infection before...