How contagious is mouth rot in adults?

Over 90% of humans carry the virus that causes mouth rot, but only about 1% of humans who come into contact with the virus for the first time experience the complete course of the disease. This means that most people do not develop the disease. The herpes virus is however transmitted very quickly.

Ways of infection of mouth rot in adults

The virus of oral thrush is mainly transmitted via direct physical contact. The carriers of the virus excrete the viruses with their saliva. Thus, oral thrush is mainly transmitted via saliva, i.e. when kissing or sharing cutlery, drink or food. It is also not advisable to share handkerchiefs or even the bath towel. Especially while you are suffering from oral thrush, you should therefore pay as much attention as possible to hygiene.

The course of oral thrush in adults is

After you have been infected by mouth rot in a person, the first signs of illness appear after about four to six days. These do not yet have to show in the mouth, but are characterized by a general feeling of illness, such as weakness and nausea. After a further two days, the first changes in the oral mucosa appear in the form of blisters.

These often do not exist for long, but burst and form a kind of wound over the entire mucous membrane, which mainly causes the pain in the oral cavity when eating and even speaking. The gums are also swollen and reddened at this stage and tend to bleed quickly. The lymph nodes often swell very strongly.

This can last up to 6 weeks after the onset of the disease. Usually the condition should improve after about 5 days and after 2 weeks the complete healing can be expected. After the disease, there is usually no recurrence, because the body produces antibodies, i.e. defense cells, against the viruses of oral decay.