LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Mononucleosis: Transmission Ebv
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Mononucleosis is quite contagious, and is usually transmitted from person to person through the exchange of saliva. Transmission can occur through the air—via coughing or sneezing—or by sharing contaminated toothbrushes or eating and drinking utensils. However, mono is most often transmitted through kissing—especially intimate kissing—... accounting for its street name.
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More than 90 percent of mononucleosis infections are benign and uncomplicated, but fatigue and weakness that continue for a month or more are not uncommon. The illness may be more severe and last longer in adults over the age of 30. Airway obstruction, rupture of the spleen, inflammation of the heart or tissues surrounding the heart, and severe bone marrow or central nervous system involvement are rare, life-threatening complications that are treated with steroid drugs. If the spleen should rupture, a doctor will immediately have to remove it surgically and start transfusions and other therapy for shock. Although EBV remains in the body indefinitely following a bout of mononucleosis, the disease rarely recurs. Nearly all individuals who have repeated mono-like illnesses either have a seriously impaired immune system, such as transplant recipients, or are actually experiencing sequential infections with different viruses that can provoke similar symptoms.
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Though mononucleosis is known as the "kissing disease," sexual intercourse may increase the odds of contracting the virus. A study found that of 510 college students who were initially free of EBV, nearly half became infected with the virus over the next three years, with sexually active students being at greater risk. Students who said they'd had intercourse during the study were more likely to become infected than those who reported no romantic relationships, as well as those whose relationships were limited to kissing and petting. The findings suggest that sexual intercourse itself makes EBV transmission more likely, according to the study authors, led by Dr. Dorothy H. Crawford of the University of Edinburgh. Most adults worldwide are infected with EBV, which, after first infecting a person, remains dormant in the body for life. Most of the time, the initial infection causes no apparent symptoms, especially when it's contracted in childhood.
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As mononucleosis symptoms appear, the body reacts to the virus in certain distinctive ways that can be detected through laboratory tests. White blood cells called lymphocytes increase in number (a process known as lymphocytosis), and atypical-looking (activated) lymphocytes involved in fighting the virus infection are commonly seen in blood samples. The body produces antibodies, or specific proteins, that protect against EBV. Blood tests that measure lymphocytes and antibodies aid in the diagnosis of mononucleosis. In EBV infection, the body's immune system produces more of substances called heterophil antibodies (Paul-Bunnell antibodies). These antibodies indicate that an EBV infection is present in the body, but they are not directed against the virus itself nor do they serve a protective function.
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EBV, the virus that causes most cases of mononucleosis, infects and reproduces in the salivary glands. It ... infects white blood cells called B cells. Direct contact with virus-infected saliva, such as through kissing, can transmit the virus and result in mononucleosis. Someone with mononucleosis, however, does not need to be isolated. Household members or college roommates have only a slight risk of being infected unless they come into direct contact with the patient's saliva.
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The designation "mononucleosis" refers to an increase in a special type of white blood cells (lymphocytes) in the bloodstream relative to the other blood components as a result of the EBV infection. Mono is most often diagnosed in adolescents and young adults, with a peak incidence at ages 15-17. However, it is ... seen in children. Generally, the illness is less severe in young children and may mimic the symptoms of other common childhood illnesses, which may explain why it is less commonly diagnosed or recognized in this younger age group. While there are other illnesses falling under the broad classification of mononucleosis that cause similar symptoms and an increase in blood lymphocytes, the form caused by the EBV is by far the most common.
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