The Case:  Joanna is dealing with chronic fatigue and nausea and nothing seems to help She heard an episode of Health Mysteries Solved with Kasia Kines and wondered if she might be suffering from EBV or Epstein Barr Virus Her doctor ran a test and informed her that she did not have EBV so she was back to square one. Not satisfied with this, Joanna came to me. I took a look at the labs that her doctor had run and saw that he hadn’t run a full EBV panel. This is common with conventional doctors because they may not be aware that in the last few years LabCorp has changed their panels to exclude an important marker unless the doctor specifically asks for it. As a result, Joanna was not tested for this marker and I knew this was the first step in us solving her health mystery.    The Investigation - Changes to EBV (Epstein Barr Virus) This all started because Joanna had heard my conversations with Kasia Kines (episode 4 and episode 43). I’m not surprised because these are some of the most downloaded episodes! I know there are a lot of people struggling to understand what is going on with their health, just like Joanna, and exploring if EBV might be the root cause.  Since my last interview with Kasia, there’s been more research on EBV, including the impact of COVID and COVID vaccines. Joanna’s case seemed like a great reason to invite Kasia Kines back on the show to discuss EBV again.  Kasia Kines is a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition and the CEO of EBV Educational Institute and Holistic Nutrition Naturally. She is the author of the Amazon best-sellng book The Epstein-Barr Virus Solution.    EBV Testing  There are 4 markers to look for when testing for EBV and, as Joanna discovered, not all labs test for all 4 markers. The 4 markers you want to be included in your test are:    EA IgG (Early Antigen) – this is the most important test and it’s often skipped.  EBNA IgG (Epstein Barr Nuclear Antigen) – this marker shows the history of infection in non-acute cases revealing the long-term status of the virus.  VCA IgG (Viral capsid antigen) – identifies if there is an acute infection (and remains present after initial infection). VCA IgM (Viral capsid antigen) – this shows up in the early stage of an infection and usually disappears.  It’s also worth noting that markers may not be detectable right after the initial exposure. And, some markers can go up and down in a day so tests may need to be repeated to get a true picture of what’s going on.  Studies have also found that healthy people can test positive for years without any symptoms.   Ebstein Barr Virus (EBV) and Autoimmune Disease Once someone has been exposed to EBV (and Kasia says that 90% of children are), then it stays in the system for life. Most of the time, it remains dormant but different things can trigger it. Those with autoimmune issues are more at risk of their EBV being triggered because their immune system is often struggling or challenged.  This increased immune system activity could also potentially lead to molecular mimicry and result in the immune system mistakenly attacking organs.    What Causes EBV to Reactivate? There are many triggers that can cause the Epstein Barr Virus to reactivate and it can happen over and over again. Some of the most common ones are stress, environmental toxins, anxiety, and hormonal changes (even a woman’s monthly cycle can reactivate EBV).  Kasia says that some of the people in her community (who generally are aware of their EBV status and have regular flare-ups) also reported that COVID as well as the vaccine increased their EBV reactivation.    EBV Reactivation Symptoms  Different people experience EBV reactivation differently. Some will say that they experience a special kind of fatigue while others might get a rash or have a fever. Becoming aware of and tracking your EBV symptoms will help you manage reactivation symptoms sooner. Tracking may also help you identify triggers to avoid reactivations.  The Emergency Protocol to Treat E