If Youve Had Monoucleosis Once Can You Get It Again?
- Most people will not exist able to become mono twice in their life.
- That's because once you're infected with the virus that causes mono, it remains inactive in your body.
- However, those who are immunocompromised may be at a higher run a risk for the virus reactivating, and experiencing mono symptoms more in one case.
- This article was medically reviewed by Kristine Arthur, MD, an internist at MemorialCare Medical Grouping in Laguna Woods, CA.
- Visit Insider'south Health Reference library for more advice.
Infectious mononucleosis, or mono for short, is spread by the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), a member of the herpes family, through saliva or respiratory droplets.
More than xc% of people worldwide are infected with EBV. The virus will remain inactive for many of these people, and they'll never have whatever symptoms of mono.
However, at least 25% of young people who get infected with EBV will develop symptoms of mono, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Only in that location's some skilful news — if you go mono, it's about impossible to get it over again. Hither'southward why.
Can you go mono twice?
Once you lot've had mono, it's extremely unlikely that you'll get information technology once more months or even years after.
When you've been infected with EBV, it remains in your throat and blood cells for the residual of your life — but is ordinarily latent, or inactive. Your allowed system produces antibodies in your blood that help protect you against a recurrence of EBV.
"This will give you permanent immunity from communicable the virus over again," says Dimitar Marinov, Doc, an assistant professor in the department of hygiene and epidemiology at Medical University in Varna, Bulgaria. "That's the reason why yous cannot get mononucleosis twice."
However, EBV may periodically reactivate in your body, leading to higher levels of the virus in your saliva. Even if EBV does reactivate, there are usually no symptoms of mono in otherwise healthy people, Marinov says.
All the same, you could possibly still spread EBV to others, regardless of how long information technology's been since yous were outset infected, the CDC notes. That'due south why mono can exist contagious long after you've displayed symptoms.
People with weak immune systems are more than likely to get mono twice
However, if you have a weakened or suppressed allowed system, also known every bit being immunocompromised, then you're more at adventure of getting mono more than once. If you lot accept the following conditions, you are more than likely to show symptoms of mono if EBV reactivates.
- People with autoimmune diseases such every bit lupus, multiple sclerosis, or rheumatoid arthritis
- People taking immunosuppressant medications, such as corticosteroids like prednisone, to treat autoimmune diseases
- Cancer patients
- People with AIDS
Although it is unclear what can trigger a reactivation of EBV, information technology may be due to an activation of B cells — a type of white claret 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 circular white claret cells in your lymph tissues, and produce fewer neutrophils, the white blood cells that heave your immune system'due south ability to fight infection.
EBV-invaded B cells may proliferate more in people with weakened allowed systems. This makes them more likely than people with healthy allowed systems to have severe symptoms caused by EBV.
In very rare cases, an EBV infection may develop into chronic active EBV (CAEBV). Instead of going dormant, EBV remains active and can lead to serious complications such as a weakened immune system, lymphomas, or organ failure. The only current cure for CAEBV is hematopoietic (blood cells) stem cell transplantation.
People from Asia, Due south and Fundamental America, and Mexico are more at run a risk for CAEBV, and information technology's more often than not acquired by genetic factors. "At that place are people with genetic variations in their immune cells who are more susceptible to a CAEBV infection," Marinov says.
Other mutual illnesses that you might mistake for mono
It's rare that you'll actually go mono twice. So, if you've already had mono one time, and you lot think yous're getting it over again, information technology'due south more probable that you actually have some other illness with like symptoms, such as strep throat or influenza.
Mono symptoms commonly brainstorm four to vi weeks after you've been infected with EBV. The symptoms typically concluding from two to 6 or more weeks, which is much longer than they ordinarily terminal for other viral infections.
Unlike mono, the common influenza is caused past an influenza virus that can be transmitted non simply through saliva, only through the air and by touching contaminated objects.
Flu symptoms usually begin suddenly, presently after you go infected, rather than over fourth dimension equally they do with mono. The influenza typically lasts from a calendar week to x days.
And while mono and the flu are caused by viruses, strep pharynx is acquired by group A Streptococcus bacteria, so it tin can exist treated with antibiotics and will usually last less than one week.
The bottom line
If you lot've already had mono, and call up you may have information technology again, check with your dr., who tin can determine if that'south the case — or if you just take another common illness, like strep pharynx or influenza.
Withal, in some cases, serious conditions can likewise display symptoms similar to mono. This includes hepatitis B, a virus that causes inflammation of the liver and has additional symptoms besides those for mono, such as dark urine and yellowing of your skin. Yous should see a physician right away if you take these symptoms.
Related articles from Health Reference:
- How to treat mono and the best means to salvage your symptoms
- How to tell if you lot have a fever without a thermometer
- v ways to soothe a sore throat
Source: https://www.insider.com/can-you-get-mono-twice
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