infections
Infectious Mononucleosis
Introduction
Epstein-Barr virus causes a number of diseases, including infectious mononucleosis. The Overview of Viral Infections is spread through kissing. Symptoms vary, but the most common are extreme fatigue, fever, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes. A blood test is done to confirm the diagnosis. Acetaminophenor nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can relieve fever and pain. Infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is very common. EBV is a type of Overview of Herpesvirus Infections called herpesvirus 4. In the United States, about 50% of all children 5 years of age and over 90% of adults have had an EBV infection. Most EBV infections cause no symptoms. Infectious mononucleosis typically develops in adolescents and young adults who are infected with EBV. Infectious mononucleosis is named for the large numbers of a certain type of white blood cell (mononuclear cells) in the bloodstream. Adolescents and young adults usually catch infectious mononucleosis by kissing someone infected with EBV. After the initial infection, EBV, like other herpesviruses, remains in the body, mainly in white blood cells, for life. Infected people shed the virus periodically in their saliva. They can infect others during shedding, which causes no symptoms. Rarely, EBV contributes to the development of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and several types of cancer, such as 