Primary infection with Epstein–Barr virus often results in the clinical syndrome of acute infectious mononucleosis (glandular fever). This illness is characterized by a striking lymphocytosis, the nature of which has been controversial. We show that large monoclonal or oligoclonal populations of CD8⁺ T cells account for a significant proportion of the lymphocytosis and provide molecular evidence that these populations have been driven by antigen. The results suggest that the selective and massive expansion of a few dominant clones of CD8⁺ T cells is an important feature of the primary response to this virus.