The Epstein-Barr virus is a common virus related to the herpes family of viruses. Like herpes, most people are exposed to it at some point in their lifetime. However, the body naturally produces antibodies to the virus and in most cases people infected with it suffer mild symptoms (similar to a cold) or no symptoms at all and never develop symptoms again after the first infection. In Role Model, the patient was exposed to Epstein-Barr at the same time he was taking anti-epileptic medicine and, as such, developed an autoimmune condition that was latent until adulthood.