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Mononucleosis
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Mononucleosis is usually diagnosed based on the patient’s symptoms of fever, sore throat, and swollen lymph glands. The doctor may order blood tests, particularly the mono spot test. This test detects antibodies to the Epstein-Barr virus, but sometimes it is inaccurate (yields a false negative) during the first week of infection. Other blood tests, such as a complete blood count, might be done to see if the number of lymphocytes is higher than normal, which may support the diagnosis. Occasionally, titers of antibodies against the viruses that cause mononucleosis may need to be done to confirm the diagnosis.
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Mononucleosis is a feverish illness caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and belonging to the herpesvirus family. Its name originates from the fact that the illness causes an increase of white blood cells and in particular, of mononuclear cells. It is common above-all among young people and can be contracted in any crowded environment as it is extremely contagious; contagion takes place through saliva (it is ... known as the [K]issing disease) and urine. Incubation period varies between 30 and 50 days.
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Mononucleosis causes so-called heterophile antibodies, which cause agglutination (sticking together) of non-human red blood cells, to appear in the patient's blood. The monospot is a non-specific test that screens for mononucleosis by looking for these antibodies. Confirmation of the exact etiology can be obtained through tests to detect specific antibodies to the causative viruses. The spot test may be negative in the first week, so negative tests are often repeated at a later date. Since the spot test is usually negative in children less than 6-8 years old, an EBV serology test should be done on them if mononucleosis is suspected. An older test for heterophile antibodies is the Paul-Bunnell test, in which the patient's serum is mixed with sheep red blood cells and checked for agglutination of these cells.
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Mononucleosis typically occurs the first time a person is infected with Epstein-Barr virus. Once a person is infected, the virus remains alive in the body for the rest of his or her life. After the initial infection, it rarely produces any kind of illness, but it can be transmitted to others. The initial infection with Epstein-Barr virus does not always cause mononucleosis. It often causes only a mild illness, like a cold, or no illness at all. Epstein-Barr virus permanently infects more than 90% of the people on Earth, but it causes mononucleosis only in a small minority of them.
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Mononucleosis is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), an extremely common member of the herpes family of viruses. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as 95 percent of Americans have been infected by EBV by the time they reach 40 years of age. But the virus does not always cause disease, especially in young children. The symptoms in young children may ... be mild or taken for another childhood ailment. People who are infected in their teens or early adult years are more likely to develop symptoms, but mononucleosis still occurs no more than half the time in those infected with EBV, according to CDC estimates. Symptoms usually become more severe with age.
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Mononucleosis is sometimes called the “kissing disease” because of the fact that the virus is transmitted through infected saliva. Until they find out the level of seriousness inherent in the disease and the need for complete recovery, some of the infected teenagers are often initially amused when they come down with mono-recovery of course entails full restraints on all activities. Activities such as coughing or sneezing are ... responsible for the spread of the disease among individuals.
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Mononucleosis