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Infectious Mononucleosis Information Sheet
Mononucleosis (Mono) is an illness caused by a virus, usually the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Many people catch mono as children and have mild flu-like symptoms. Even as adults, most people who get mono are only sick for a few weeks. Many people infected with mono don’t get sick or have such mild symptoms they never know they have it. Most people who have had mono are then immune (they won’t get sick again if exposed to the virus). Very rarely a reactivation of the mono virus has been reported.
85-95% of adults in the U.S. have had mono by the time they are 40; only about 20% know they’ve had it.
Classic Mono Symptoms:
· Swollen lymph glands
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Mono has a long incubation period. From the time a person is infected until symptoms start can be 1-2 months. If you have mono now, you may have been infected weeks ago.
Many people are infectious without symptoms. So, you may have been infected by someone who wasn’t having symptoms. Some people never feel sick. Others no longer feel sick, but still produce viruses for several weeks. Fewer than 10% of the people who get mono know whom they caught it from.
Mono ispassed by saliva. Only kissing and sharing drinks and/or utensils is likely to spread the infection.
Avoid kissing someone who has mono and sharing drinks and/or utensils
If you’ve kissed or shared drinks with someone who now has mono, taking especially good care of yourself (healthy diet, exercise, and enough rest) may help keep you from getting ill.·
Treatment of Mono
Because mono is caused by a virus, antibiotics won’t help. However, you may have a secondary bacterial infection that requires treatment with antibiotics.
Some people don’t miss school or work if they take it easy and get as much rest as possible. Other people need to take 1-2 weeks away from regular activities/classes.
Because the spleen can swell with mono, spleen rupture is a possible serious complication. Its first symptom is abdominal pain and/or pain spreading into the left shoulder.
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