EverythingYouNeedtoKnowAboutMonoMedicallyreviewedbyElaineK.Luo,M.D.—WrittenbyJacquelynCafasso—UpdatedonSeptember30,2019SymptomsIncubationperiodCausesContagiousRiskfactorsDiagnosisTreatmentHomeremediesComplicationsFlare-upInadultsInchildrenIntoddlersRelapseRecurringPreventionOutlookWhatisinfectiousmononucleosis(mono)?Mono,orinfectiousmononucleosis,referstoagroupofsymptomsusuallycausedbytheEpstein-Barrvirus(EBV).Ittypicallyoccursinteenagers,butyoucangetitatanyage.Thevirusisspreadthroughsaliva,whichiswhysomepeoplerefertoitas“thekissingdisease.”ManypeopledevelopEBVinfectionsaschildrenafterage1.Inveryyoungchildren,symptomsareusuallynonexistentorsomildthattheyaren’trecognizedasmono.OnceyouhaveanEBVinfection,youaren’tlikelytogetanotherone.AnychildwhogetsEBVwillprobablybeimmunetomonofortherestoftheirlife.However,plentyofchildrenintheUnitedStatesandotherdevelopedcountriesdon’tgettheseinfectionsintheirearlyyears.AccordingtotheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(CDC),monooccurs25percentofthetimewhenanadolescentoryoungadultisinfectedwithEBV.Forthisreason,monoaffectsmainlyhighschoolandcollegestudents.MonosymptomsPeoplewithmonooftenhaveahighfever,swollenlymphglandsintheneckandarmpits,andasorethroat.Mostcasesofmonoaremildandresolveeasilywithminimaltreatment.Theinfectionistypicallynotseriousandusuallygoesawayonitsownin1to2months.Othersymptomsmayinclude:aheadachefatiguemuscleweaknessarashconsistingofflatpinkorpurplespotsonyourskinorinyourmouthswollentonsilsnightsweatsOccasionally,yourspleenorlivermayalsoswell,butmononucleosisisrarelyeverfatal.Monoishardtodistinguishfromothercommonvirusessuchastheflu.Ifyoursymptomsdon’timproveafter1or2weeksofhometreatmentsuchasresting,gettingenoughfluids,andeatinghealthyfoods,seeyourdoctor.MonoincubationperiodTheincubationperiodofthevirusisthetimebetweenwhenyoucontracttheinfectionandwhenyoustarttohavesymptoms.Itlastsfor4to6weeks.Thesignsandsymptomsofmonotypicallylastfor1to2months.Theincubationperiodmaybeshorterinyoungchildren.Somesymptoms,likesoret