MONONUCLEASIS – What is the severity of the disease mononucleosis “kissing disease” ??
mononucleosis “kissing disease”
Mononucleosis is an infectious disease that is transmitted through saliva; for this reason, it is also known as “kissing disease” . The infection can be transmitted by sharing glasses or by the effect of droplets of saliva dispersed by sneezing or coughing. Mononucleosis is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV – Epstein-Barr Virus).
What is mononucleosis?
Mononucleosis is an infectious disease that is transmitted through saliva. Symptoms are often mild and consist of a general feeling of malaise, asthenia, and tiredness. In some cases, the infection can have more serious consequences involving the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, heart, lungs, and central nervous system. Mononucleosis has an incubation time that varies between 30 and 50 days.
What are the causes of mononucleosis?
The cause of mononucleosis is a viral infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus.
What are the symptoms of mononucleosis?
Mononucleosis is often asymptomatic or presents with mild and transient symptoms, characterized by weakness, tiredness, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, and spleen.
Complications related to mononucleosis, although infrequent, can be more serious than the disease and include :
- Hepatitis
- Hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia
- Myocarditis
- Guillain-Barre syndrome, meningitis, encephalitis
How to prevent mononucleosis?
To limit the risk of contagion, contact with the secretions (saliva) of infected subjects should be avoided. It must be remembered that the virus is shed in saliva for many months after infection.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of mononucleosis can be exclusively clinical, through the recognition of the characteristic signs and symptoms of the disease. To confirm the clinical diagnosis, blood tests allow to the identification of the presence of specific anti-EBV antibodies.
Treatments
There are no specific treatments for mononucleosis; the use of anti-inflammatories and antipyretics may be useful.
When there is the involvement of the spleen, it is important to limit the physical effort to avoid the risk of rupture.
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