Mono, or infectious mononucleosis, refers to a group of symptoms usually caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). It typically occurs in teenagers, but you can get it at any age. The virus is spread through saliva, which is why some people refer to it as “the kissing disease.”
Many people develop EBV infections as children after age 1. In very young children, symptoms are usually nonexistent or so mild that they aren’t recognized as mono.
Once you have an EBV infection, you aren’t likely to get another one. Any child who gets EBV will probably be immune to mono for the rest of their life.
However, plenty of children in the United States and other developed countries don’t get these infections in their early years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source, mono occurs 25 percent of the time when an adolescent or young adult is infected with EBV. For this reason, mono affects mainly high school and college students.
People with mono often have a high fever, swollen lymph glands in the neck and armpits, and a sore throat. Most cases of mono are mild and resolve easily with minimal treatment. The infection is typically not serious and usually goes away on its own in 1 to 2 months.
Other symptoms may include:
a headache
fatigue
muscle weakness
a rash consisting of flat pink or purple spots on your skin or in your mouth
swollen tonsils
night sweats
Occasionally, your spleen or liver may also swell, but mononucleosis is rarely ever fatal.
Mono is hard to distinguish from other common viruses such as the flu. If your symptoms don’t improve after 1 or 2 weeks of home treatment such as resting, getting enough fluids, and eating healthy foods, see your doctor.
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