MONONUCLEOSIS and Symptoms

Mononucleosis is a contagious, viral infection that spreads through saliva. The infection is common among teenagers and young adults and is often referred to as “kissing disease”. Infectious mononucleosis is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). A milder form is caused by the cytomegalovirus (CMV). Both EBV and CMV are members of the herpes virus family. The infection can also spread by sharing a glass or food utensils with someone who has mono. Symptoms can take between 4 to 6 weeks to appear. They often don't last beyond 4 months. (https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/infectious-mononucleosis) 

How common is mononucleosis?

About 95% of Americans get this infection by age 35. However, not everyone who has the virus develops mono symptoms; some people only carry the virus.

People usually get mononucleosis once, unlike those who have weak immune systems or are on immunosuppressants, who can get it more than once. Mononucleosis virus can spread through: 

• Blood transfusion
• Coughing or sneezing
• Kissing
• Sharing food, drinks or eating utensils
• Organ transplants
• Sexual contact (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/13974-mononucleosis) 

What are the symptoms of mononucleosis? 

The virus has an incubation period of about four to six weeks, although in young children this period may be shorter. The incubation period refers to how long before your symptoms appear after being exposed to the virus. Each person may have different symptoms. But these are the most common symptoms of mononucleosis:

• Fever
• Swollen lymph glands in the neck, armpits, and groin
• Extreme fatigue
• Sore throat, including white patches in the back of the throat.
• Enlarged spleen.
• Head and body aches.
• Rash
• Loss of appetite 
• Liver problems, such as mild liver inflammation that can rarely cause temporary jaundice, a yellow discoloring of the skin, and whites of the eyes due to abnormally high levels of bilirubin (bile pigmentation) in the bloodstream.

Once a person has had mononucleosis, the virus remains dormant in the throat and blood cells for the rest of that person's life. They are usually not at risk of getting the illness again, unless their immune system is weakened. (https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/infectious-mononucleosis)