Infectious Mononucleosis

Infectious mononucleosis (IM; also known as EBV infectious mononucleosis, Pfeiffer's disease, Filatov's disease, and sometimes colloquially as the kissing disease from its oral transmission or simply as mono in North America and as glandular fever in other English-speaking countries) is an infectious, widespread viral disease caused by the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), one type of herpes virus, to which more than 90% of adults have been exposed. Occasionally, the symptoms can recur at a later period. Most people are exposed to the virus as children, when the disease produces no noticeable or only flu-like symptoms. In developing countries, people are exposed to the virus in early childhood more often than in developed countries. As a result, the disease in its observable form is more common in developed countries. It is most common among adolescents and young adults.

Especially in adolescents and young adults, the disease is characterized by fever, sore throat and fatigue, along with several other possible signs and symptoms. It is primarily diagnosed by observation of symptoms, but suspicion can be confirmed by several diagnostic tests.

The syndrome was described as an infectious process by Nil Filatov in 1887 and independently by Emil Pfeiffer in 1889. Risk Factors of Infectious mono nucleosis: A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition. Many people contract EBV during their lifetime. Risk factors that increase the likelihood that EBV will develop into mononucleosis include: • Contracting EBV after the age of 10 • Lowered immune resistance, due to other illness, stress, or fatigue • Living in close quarters with a large number of people, such as in a college dormitory . Kissing an infected person,especially when the virus is in its active stages,as it spreads through the saliva. . Using glasses,eating utensils,or toothbrushes of infected persons. -In a 4-year prospective seroepidemiological study of infectious mononucleosis (IM) of one class of some 1400 cadets at the West Point Military Academy, susceptibles and immunes were identified by the absence or presence of antibody to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the causative agent, and new infections by the appearance of antibody (seroconversion). On entry, about 1/3 lacked EBV antibody, of whom some 20% became infected (seroconverted); about 1/4 of seroconverters developed definite, clinical and recognized IM. Psychosocial factors that significantly increased the risk of clinical IM among seroconverters included: 1) having fathers who were "overachievers"; 2) having a high level of motivation; 3) doing relatively poorly academically. The combination of high motivation and poor academic performance interacted in predicting clinical IM. Additional data on presence of elevated titers among seroconverters with inapparent disease and on length of hospitalization among cases of clinical IM revealed that these two additional indices of infection or illness could also be predicted from the same set of psychosocial risk factors.