Glandular fever (also known as infectious mononucleosis) is a type of viral infection that can cause fever, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes (glands) and fatigue.
Most cases of glandular fever are caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).
Epstein-Barr virus
EBV is one of the most common viruses that can affect humans. It's estimated that 90% of all adults are infected with EBV.
Most EBV infections take place during early childhood and usually produce few or no symptoms. Once an EBV infection has occurred, the virus will remain in the body for life, lying dormant in a number of throat and blood cells.
However, if an EBV infection occurs during the teenage years, or early adulthood, there is a risk that it will lead to the development of glandular fever.
Therefore, the majority of glandular fever cases occur in teenagers and young people aged between 15 and 25, but the condition can affect people of any age.
Glandular fever is contagious
You can catch glandular fever by coming into contact with the saliva of someone who is currently infected with the condition. Therefore, glandular fever can be spread through:
- kissing (it is often referred to as the kissing disease),
- exposure to coughs and sneezes, and
- sharing eating and drinking utensils, such as cups, glasses or unwashed forks and spoons.
You'll be contagious for at least two months after initial infection with EBV. Some people can have EBV in their saliva for up to 18 months after infection.
Once you've been exposed to glandular fever, it's highly unlikely that you'll develop a second bout of the infection. This is because almost everyone develops a life-long immunity to glandular fever after the initial infection.
Prognosis
There is no cure for glandular fever but, in most cases, the majority of the symptoms should pass within four to six weeks without treatment. Fatigue can sometimes persist for longer.
In most people, fatigue will end after three months. It's estimated that 9-22% of people will experience symptoms of fatigue that last up to six months.
Complications of glandular fever are not common, but can be serious. They include a ruptured spleen, which would require emergency surgery, or secondary infection of the lungs (pneumonia). Go to the Complications section (see above) for more details.
