That's why mono can be contagious long after you've displayed symptoms. However, if you have a weakened or suppressed immune system, also known as being immunocompromised, then you're more at risk of getting mono more than once. If you have the following conditions, you are more likely to show symptoms of mono if EBV reactivates. Although it is unclear what can trigger a reactivation of EBV, it may be due to an activation of B cells — a type of white blood cells in your immune system — in response to an unrelated infection.
EBV invades your B cells and makes your body produce an excessive number of lymphocytes, the round white blood cells in your lymph tissues, and produce fewer neutrophils, the white blood cells that boost your immune system's ability to fight infection. EBV-invaded B cells may proliferate more in people with weakened immune systems. This makes them more likely than people with healthy immune systems to have severe symptoms caused by EBV.
Instead of going dormant, EBV remains active and can lead to serious complications such as a weakened immune system, lymphomas, or organ failure.
It's rare that you'll actually get mono twice. So, if you've already had mono once, and you think you're getting it again, it's more likely that you actually have another illness with similar symptoms, such as strep throat or influenza.
Mono symptoms usually begin four to six weeks after you've been infected with EBV. The symptoms typically last from two to six or more weeks, which is much longer than they usually last for other viral infections. Unlike mono, the common flu is caused by an influenza virus that can be transmitted not just through saliva, but through the air and by touching contaminated objects. Flu symptoms usually begin suddenly, soon after you become infected, rather than over time as they do with mono.
The flu typically lasts from a week to 10 days. And while mono and the flu are caused by viruses, strep throat is caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria, so it can be treated with antibiotics and will usually last less than one week.
So they may not know they have been infected, but they can still pass it to others. In fact, most people have been infected with EBV by the time they reach adulthood.
People are definitely contagious while they have symptoms, which can last 2—4 weeks or even longer. Health experts aren't sure how long people with mono stay contagious after symptoms are gone, but it seems they can spread the infection for months after that.
Then, the virus stays dormant inactive in the body for the rest of a person's life. Sometimes the dormant virus can "wake up" and find its way into a person's saliva spit. That person might not feel ill or show any mono symptoms, but can spread the virus to other people. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data.
We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Could It Be Mono? Symptoms to Look For. How Long Is Mono Contagious? Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up. What are your concerns? Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Related Articles. Do You Have Mono? How It's Diagnosed. Can You Have Chronic Mono? Causes and Risk Factors of Burkitt Lymphoma. Can Mono Be Cured? Mononucleosis vs. Strep Throat. How Long Is Mononucleosis Contagious? The Three Stages of Mono. Is Mono an STD? What Is the Mono Blood Test? Mono vs. Flu: Comparing Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments. How to Prevent the Transmission of Mono. Symptoms of Mono in Kids.
0コメント