That means it can sometimes show up in their spit and get passed on to someone else. If you've shared drinks with or kissed someone who has mono, there's no way to tell whether you will get it — unless you know you've had mono before. People who have already been infected with EBV in the past probably won't get sick from EBV again because they have developed antibodies and are immune to it.
Most people have been infected with EBV by the time they reach adulthood. Contagious and incubation period You can pass the Epstein-Barr virus EBV to others for several weeks or months during and after the time you are first infected with EBV. The virus can also become active and spread to others from time to time throughout your life. There is a small risk of spreading EBV through blood products. It takes 4 to 6 weeks for symptoms to develop after you come in contact with EBV. This is called the incubation period.
Sore throat, often with white patches on the tonsils which may look like strep throat. Swollen lymph nodes all over the body, especially the lymph nodes in the neck. Swollen tonsils. Headache or body aches. Fatigue and a lack of energy. Loss of appetite. Pain in the upper left part of the abdomen, which may mean that the spleen has become enlarged. What Happens Usually mono is a mild illness that goes away without treatment after several weeks. A sore throat is worst during the first 3 to 5 days and gradually improves over the next 7 to 10 days.
Fever may last 10 to 14 days. Usually it is mild during the last 5 to 7 days. If you have a fever, you should stay home from work or school until the fever goes away. You can then go back to your normal activities if you feel up to it. Swollen lymph nodes sometimes called swollen glands may last up to 4 weeks. It may take several weeks even months for your energy level to return to normal.
Don't try to rush this process. Pushing yourself too hard could make you feel worse. Give your body the rest it needs. You are at increased risk of getting mono if you: Are age 15 to 24, especially if you are in close contact with many people.
In the United States, college students, nurses, and people in the military are most likely to get mono. Have intimate contact with a person who has mono or an active EBV infection. Share drinking glasses, eating utensils, dishes, or a toothbrush with an infected person. A person does not have to have symptoms of mono to spread EBV.
When should you call your doctor? If you have been diagnosed with mono, seek care now if: Your tonsils become so swollen that you find it hard to breathe or swallow. You have severe pain in the upper left part of your abdomen.
This may mean that your spleen has ruptured. Rupture of an enlarged spleen caused by mono is rare. If you have not been diagnosed with mono and you have: A severe sore throat that has lasted longer than 2 to 3 days after you've tried home treatment, call your doctor in 1 to 2 days.
You should see your doctor to make sure your symptoms aren't caused by a treatable infection, such as strep throat. Tried home treatment for 7 to 10 days, contact your doctor if you have: A lack of energy. Body aches. Swollen lymph nodes sometimes called swollen glands. Watchful waiting Most cases of mono don't need treatment. Exams and Tests A medical history and physical exam are the most important ways a doctor can diagnose mono.
Blood tests to help confirm the diagnosis include: Mononucleosis tests including the monospot test and EBV antibody test. It is possible for the monospot test to come back negative early in the course of the infection false negative. Complete blood count CBC.
A CBC may be done to rule out other infections or complications of mono. Liver tests may be done to find out whether the virus has affected your liver. If the mononucleosis test is negative, your doctor may test you for an infection with cytomegalovirus CMV or other organisms. CMV can cause an illness that is like mono. Treatment Overview Usually no treatment for mono is needed other than self-care at home.
Prevention The virus that causes mono Epstein-Barr virus isn't spread as easily as most people think. Don't kiss or share dishes or eating utensils with someone who has mono.
A brief kiss on the lips is not likely to spread Epstein-Barr virus. Don't donate blood if you have mono. Although it is unusual for the Epstein-Barr virus to be spread through blood, it is possible. Home Treatment Self-care is usually all that is needed if you have mono. Listen to your body.
Symptoms may be so mild that one can have mono without knowing it. In other cases, symptoms may be severe enough to require hospitalization. Common symptoms include:. If you have any symptoms and are concerned that you may have mono, you should visit a clinician. See How to Get Health Care. Like the common cold, mono is a viral infection with no cure.
Antibiotics do not work as a treatment for mono. You will probably feel most ill for the first two weeks of the infection. After this time, you should gradually improve, but your energy level may be reduced longer. The recovery process varies from person to person, so base your activities and check-ups on how you feel. Mono is usually spread by close contact from one person to another, hence the name "kissing disease. As a precaution, you should avoid sharing drinking glasses, eating utensils, food, and kissing until your sore throat and other symptoms have disappeared for several weeks.
Be sure to cover coughs and sneezes, and wash your hands thoroughly and often. Antibiotics are ineffective against viruses, and they should not be prescribed for mononucleosis itself. Some patients with mononucleosis also develop streptococcal bacterial throat infections, which should be treated with penicillin or erythromycin. Ampicillin a form of penicillin should not be used. When mononucleosis patients take ampicillin, 70 to 80 percent develop a rash for unknown reasons.
Although not a true allergic reaction, the rash may be diagnosed as such, and the patient may be instructed unnecessarily to avoid penicillins in the future. More than 90 percent of mononucleosis infections are benign and uncomplicated, but fatigue and weakness that continue for a month or more are not uncommon.
The illness may be more severe and last longer in adults over the age of Airway obstruction, rupture of the spleen, inflammation of the heart or tissues surrounding the heart, and severe bone marrow or central nervous system involvement are rare, life-threatening complications that are treated with steroid drugs.
If the spleen should rupture, a doctor will immediately have to remove it surgically and start transfusions and other therapy for shock. Although EBV remains in the body indefinitely following a bout of mononucleosis, the disease rarely recurs. Nearly all individuals who have repeated mono-like illnesses either have a seriously impaired immune system, such as transplant recipients, or are actually experiencing sequential infections with different viruses that can provoke similar symptoms.
In addition, several scientific studies now have confirmed that EBV does not cause chronic fatigue syndrome. Further Research Scientists believe that increased knowledge of normal and abnormal immune responses will lead to an understanding of how EBV can cause a relatively benign illness, like mononucleosis, and also play a role in much more serious, sometimes fatal, diseases.
Epstein and Barr, two British scientists after whom EBV is named, first found evidence of the virus in B lymphocytes of patients with a rare form of cancer of the lymph system. This cancer, known as Burkitt's lymphoma, occurs primarily in Africa. Scientists have learned a lot about how EBV affects the body's cells in mononucleosis. EBV is known to increase the number of B lymphocytes, which have receptors for the virus on their surfaces. The normal response of the body to this increase in B cells is a corresponding increase in T lymphocytes, another component of the immune system, which change in appearance to become atypical cells.
Some of these T cells apparently limit the spread of the virus from cell to cell; others suppress the production of the B cells. This suppression is what seems to eliminate the infection. Normally, the T cell response subsides as the patient recovers from mononucleosis. NIH is an agency of the U. Department of Health and Human Services. Department of Health and Human Services July Infectious Mononucleosis Infectious mononucleosis -- known popularly as "mono" or "the kissing disease" -- has been recognized for more than a century.
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