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Mononucleosis Introduction |
Infectious
Mononucleosis is a disease that
is caused predominantly by the
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) which is in the
herpes virus family of viruses. The initial
Epstein-Barr infection occurs in the nasopharynx (throat/nose) and then
spreads to white blood cells. Once
infection occurs with the Epstein-Barr virus,
the virus will reside in the human host
and is periodically shed from the
nasal and throat secretions. There
is some conjecture that EBV
infection might be associated with
the development of Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome, a syndrome with symptoms
of fatigue, cognitive decline, and
occasional low-grade fever.
There
are four main symptoms that are
involved in Mononucleosis:
-
Fatigue: usually the first symptom,
and precedes the onset of fever.
Is most pronounced in the first few
weeks after initial onset of
symptoms
-
Fever:
occurring in the late afternoon and
early evening, temperatures can sore
in some individuals to an
approximated 103 degrees F
-
Sore
throat
-
Swollen
lymph nodes:
usually a pronounced swelling after several days
Even though there
is a distinctive set of symptoms
associated with Mononucleosis,
it is important to note that not all
cases will present in exactly that
way. In about 50% of cases of
Mononucleosis, swelling of the
Spleen occurs and care must be taken
to not lift heavy objects or engage
in contact sports, as these
activities could lead to splenic
rupture; which is a categorized medical
emergency. [1,
2]
In most
cases EBV infection is sub clinical,
meaning there are no
symptoms. In fact, most children, about 50%,
have had primary EBV infection by
the age of five. In some studies, it
is estimated that up to 90% of EBV
infections are sub clinical. [3]
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