Model of Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV) Infection in Humans. In the oropharynx, EBV directly infects resting B cells or infects epithelial cells, which in turn infect B cells. During primary infection, EBV-infected B cells undergo lytic infection with production of virus or express the full complement of latent viral proteins. The latter cells are kept in check by natural killer cells and cytotoxic T cells. After convalescence, EBV is present in the peripheral blood in latently infected memory B cells that express latent membrane protein (LMP) 2 and possibly EBV nuclear antigen (EBNA) 1. The latter cells can undergo EBV reactivation and express other latent viral proteins, resulting in their recognition and destruction by cytotoxic T cells. Some latently infected cells undergo lytic replication in the oropharynx, resulting in production of virus with shedding of virus into the saliva or infection of epithelial cells with release of virus. Adapted from Cohen with the permission of the publisher.19