Subclinical Epstein-Barr virus infection of both the male and female genital tract--indication for sexual transmission.

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) can infect B lymphocytes as well as epithelial cells of the oral cavity. Recently, infection of epithelial cells of the inflamed uterine cervix has been demonstrated, and EBV-DNA has been detected in urethral discharge of men suffering from genital infection. We investigated whether EBV can be found in the genital tract of both sexes independently from inflammatory disease states. Genital specimens of men and women of a sexually transmitted diseases outpatient clinic after excluding sexually transmitted diseases and clinically apparent signs of inflammation were investigated using the polymerase chain reaction to screen for EBV-DNA. In 13 of 47 samples (27.7%) swabbed from the uterine cervix, EBV-DNA could be detected. Similarly, 6 of 45 samples (13.3%) scraped from the sulcus coronarius contained EBV-DNA. Our study shows that the female genital tract and likewise the male genital tract can subclinically harbor EBV. These findings suggest i) that in addition to the oral cavity, the female and the male genital tract may be a reservoir for EBV and ii) that sexual transmission of this virus associated with an epidemiology different from that of oral infection may be possible.