A new study has finally nailed down what links Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) – a pathogen that over 95 percent of adults worldwide have been infected with – to lupus, solving a long-standing mystery. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

Lupus, also called systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE, is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissue, and can result in a wide variety of symptoms ranging from skin rashes and fatigue to severe damage to the lungs and kidneys. Actress and singer Selena Gomez was diagnosed with lupus in her early 20s, and received a kidney transplant back in 2017 due to the effects of the disease.

She’s just one of at least 5 million people estimated to be affected

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