Infectious Mononucleosis

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests

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• Related Issues

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Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

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• Children
• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Infectious mononucleosis, or "mono", is an infection usually caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. The virus spreads through saliva, which is why it's sometimes called "kissing disease." Mono occurs most often in teens and young adults. However, you can get it at any age. Symptoms of mono include:

• Fever
• Sore throat
• Swollen lymph glands

Sometimes you may also have a swollen spleen. Serious problems are rare.

A blood test can show if you have mono. Most people get better in two to four weeks. However, you may feel tired for a few months afterward. Treatment focuses on helping symptoms and includes medicines for pain and fever, warm salt water gargles and plenty of rest and fluids.

Start Here

• About Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• About Infectious Mononucleosis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Mononucleosis (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Antibody Serology Tests (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) Isoenzymes Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Mononucleosis (Mono) Tests (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Mononucleosis: Can It Recur? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• X-Linked Lymphoproliferative Disease (XLP) (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Epstein-Barr Virus Infections (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Infectious Mononucleosis (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Treatment-related fluctuations in Guillain-Barré syndrome​: clinical features and predictors of recurrence.
• Article: Adenosine deaminase as a marker for the severity of infectious mononucleosis...
• Article: Lasting Immunological Imprint of Primary Epstein-Barr Virus Infection With Associations to...
• Infectious Mononucleosis -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Children

• Mononucleosis (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
• What's Mono? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• How Is Mono Spread? (Nemours Foundation)
• How Long Is Mono Contagious? (Nemours Foundation)
• Mononucleosis (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

• Epstein-Barr virus test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Mononucleosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Mononucleosis spot test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish