Mononucleosis

Mononucleosis

Mononucleosis is an infectious viral disease that affects millions of people every year. This disease is often referred to as the kissing disease. There is no known cure for mononucleosis but there are preventative measures that can be taken to protect you from the virus.

Mononucleosis is an infectious viral disease that affects certain blood cells in the body. It is caused by the Epstein - Barr virus, named for the two british researchers who identified the virus in 1964. (Cassidy, 1990) This virus is related to a group of herpes viruses, including those that cause cold sores, chicken pox and shingles.

Most people are exposed at some point during their lives. In the United States approximately 90% of all adults between the ages of thirty-five and forty have been infected, and 35% to 50% of all adolescence will contract the virus. (Epstein, 2007)

This highly contagious virus is spread when an infected person's saliva enters the nose or mouth. The most common ways it is spread is by kissing, coughing, or sneezing. It can also be spread by sharing objects such as cups, straws, utensils, or lip gloss.

When one initially contracts the virus one may not feel sick, but after four to seven weeks symptoms may appear; though many may never get sick at all. (Cassidy, 1990) The most common symptoms of mononucleosis can mimic the common flu or cold. These are having a fever, sore throat, headache and fatigue. One particular symptom that every case of infectious mononucleosis has is swelling of the lymph glands, primarily those in the neck, groin, and underarm area. The rarest and most dangerous symptoms of mononucleosis are enlargement of the liver or spleen. Outside of the United States there have been reports of two types of cancer, Burkitts Lymphoma and Nasopharyneal Carcinoma, linked to the virus. (Leung, 2000)

To diagnosis mononucleosis one would first have a physical examination, and based on the findings a physician may order a blood test. The most common blood test is the Heterophil test, most commonly referred to as a Monospot test. This test will tell if there is a recent infection of mononucleosis and can detect antibodies two to nine weeks after a person has been infected. (Fischbach, 2004) Some doctors may also use the Epstein - Barr Virus Antibody test. This particular test is more advanced and generally not used unless infestation was prior to six months ago.

Since there is no cure for mononucleosis, doctors can only treat the symptoms as they appear. During the initial onset of symptoms a doctor will have the patient avoid contact with others to help prevent the spread of the virus. Rest and over the counter medications are commonly prescribed in the vast majority of cases since no antiviral drugs or vaccines are available. Symptoms of mononucleosis will diminish over time; most experts agree that it usually takes a full year for an infected person to feel well again. During that time one may primarily experience bouts of chronic fatigue.

There is no sure foolproof way to avoid getting the Epstein - Barr Virus, since the virus is found frequently in the saliva of healthy people. There are some basic things that a person can do to avoid having the virus turn into infectious mononucleosis. A good immune system will help keep