What Causes Glandular Fever (Mono)?

Glandular fever, also known as infectious mononucleosis or mono, according to the medical dictionary Medilexicon is “an acute febrile illness of young adults caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, a member of the Herpesviridae family; frequently spread by saliva transfer; characterized by fever, sore throat, enlargement of lymph nodes and spleen.”

It is an infection caused by a virus, causing symptoms of sore throat, fever, fatigue, swollen glands, and swollen lymph nodes. The virus, the Epstein-Barr or EBV virus, is a one of the most common ones that can affect the human race. The virus can produce symptoms or none at all and will lie dormant in the body for the length of the person’s life. 

The viral cause of mono, the EBV virus, is contagious; therefore it is able to be passed on from person to person. The typical cause of transmission of the virus is from contact with saliva, which is why it is also commonly called the “kissing disease”. However, it can also be spread by sneezes and coughing and by sharing cups, cutlery, and other things that come in contact with a person’s body fluids. They will be contagious for a minimum of 60 days after their infection and can last up to 18 months.

This viral infection will typically hit during the young adult years, or "teenage years", but can be in people of any age. The majority of people who are suffering with glandular fever or mono are usually between the ages of 15 and 25 for their first reactive infection from the Epstein-Barr Virus. It is during this infection that the body will start making antibodies in the immune system to fight off the virus and then there will be immunity to any future outbreaks. It is very rare for anyone to have more than one flare of infectious mononucleosis in their lifetime.

The CDC, or Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, states that the test for mono is a “serologic test results include a normal to moderately elevated white blood cell count, an increased total number of lymphocytes, greater than 10% atypical lymphocytes, and a positive reaction to a "mono spot" test. In patients with symptoms compatible with infectious mononucleosis, a positive Paul-Bunnell heterophile antibody test result is diagnostic, and no further testing is necessary.”

There is no cure for glandular fever. The virus that causing the infection will be able to cause symptoms for usually no longer than four to six weeks but can be up to four months. The fatigue brought on by the virus can last longer. There are typically no complications; however some people have had pneumonia and a ruptured spleen resulting from infectious mononucleosis. Usually hailed as a kid's disease, there is usually no prolonged side effects of the infection.