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What part of the body does mono affect?
Mononucleosis may cause enlargement of the spleen. In extreme cases, your spleen may rupture, causing sharp, sudden pain in the left side of your upper abdomen.
Does mono live in your body?
If you get mono, the virus stays in your body for life. That doesn’t mean that you’re always contagious . But the virus can surface from time to time and risk infecting someone else.
Who most commonly gets mono?
Young children are often asymptomatic, whereas teenagers and people in their 20s are most likely to get mono. About one in four people in this age group who get EBV come down with mono, but anyone can get it, no matter their age.
What is the reservoir for mononucleosis?
The data suggest that a small number of B-lymphocytes in the human nasopharynx serve as a reservoir for EBV.
Can you get mono without kissing?
While the most common way for the virus to spread is, indeed, through saliva, you don’t have to kiss someone with an active strain of it in order to contract it. It can also be transmitted by activities like sharing drinks and using another person’s utensils, or through blood and other bodily fluids.
What does mono feel like in adults?
You might feel more tired than usual and have a mild fever and sore throat. Your lymph nodes, tissue that normally acts as filters, may swell under your arms and in your neck and groin area. You also may have body aches and pains, swollen tonsils, headache, and even a skin rash.
Is mono an autoimmune disease?
Scientists have known for decades that EBV, which causes an infectious disease named mononucleosis or “kissing disease,” is also linked to several autoimmune disorders, including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
How common is mono in adults?
In adolescents and adults, it causes an illness called infectious mononucleosis, or mono, in about 35 to 50 percent of cases. Also known as “the kissing disease,” EBV is usually spread through saliva. It’s very rare for the disease to be spread through blood or other bodily fluids.
Where can I find information about mononucleosis?
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333. The CDC is the U.S. government authority for information about infectious and other diseases. It posts information about mononucleosis at its website.
What does mono mean in medical terms?
Infectious mononucleosis (mah-no-nu-klee-O-sis), also known as mono, is an infectious illness usually caused by the Epstein-Barr (EP-steen BAR) virus (EBV). It often leads to fever, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes * , and tiredness.
How long does mono stay in the body?
Although the symptoms may be unpleasant, mono is generally a mild disease. After a person recovers, the virus remains dormant (inactive) in the body for life. It occasionally may reactivate but it rarely causes symptoms again. When people have been infected with the virus, whether or not they had symptoms,…
What is the prevalence of Mono in the US?
In the United States, cases of mono with symptoms most often are found in teens between the ages of 15 and 17. The illness occurs in 2 out of every 1,000 adolescents and young adults and is less common in other age groups.