by Dr. Bill Rawls
Posted 3/4/19

Why is Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) such common coinfection with Lyme disease? Dr. Bill Rawls explains the link here, and shares why herbal therapy is a smart solution. Learn all about Epstein-Barr virus here.

Video Transcript

Question: What’s the connection between Lyme and Epstein-Barr?

Hello, everyone. Dr. Bill Rawls here. Question: Does Epstein-Barr virus cause Lyme disease? I think everybody knows that Lyme disease is associated with a microbe called Borrelia, so technically to be classified as Lyme disease you’ve got to have a positive test for Borrelia.

But everybody knows there are co-infections, and these co-infections can come with a tick bite, but they can also be present in our tissues. It actually is the case that 95% of people in the world are carrying Epstein-Barr virus. Most people pick it up during childhood, and we carry it in our tissues through our lives. We never get rid of it.

It is one of many viruses that this is true for. So you actually have a variety of different viruses in your tissues. If you end up with Lyme disease and it becomes chronic, which is a state of immune dysfunction, then you can have reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus and other viruses in your system, and these viruses can cause many of the same symptoms.

Now, I can remember phases during my recovery where I felt flu-like, more viral, and that was probably reactivation of viruses, because they can come and go as your immune system goes up and down. Even though it is not the cause of Lyme disease, it can definitely be part of Lyme disease.

When we look at solutions to that, herbal therapy is really wonderful because most herbs have as many antiviral properties as antibacterial, so they can be suppressive. For Epstein-Barr virus, yes, it can be part of chronic Lyme disease. One of the better solutions when restoring your immune system is herbal therapy.

That’s the facts on Epstein-Barr and Lyme disease. Take care.

Dr. Rawls is a physician who overcame Lyme disease through natural herbal therapy. You can learn more about Lyme disease in Dr. Rawls’ new best selling book, Unlocking Lyme.
You can also learn about Dr. Rawls’ personal journey in overcoming Lyme disease and fibromyalgia in his popular blog post, My Chronic Lyme Journey.