Kissing is healthy – that has even been scientifically proven. But diseases can also be transmitted in the process. The infection with Pfeiffer’s glandular fever also owes its popular name to this circumstance: Kissing Disease. Many people become infected with it in the course of their lives, but usually they do not even notice it or dismiss the disease as a sore throat. Only very rarely does it take a severe course with complications.
Pfeiffer’s glandular fever: what is it?
Also known as infectious mononucleosis, Pfeiffer’s glandular fever is an infection transmitted by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Most people come into contact with the pathogen during their lifetime.
Because the viruses are widespread, the first contact with them usually occurs in childhood and adolescence; by the age of 30, 95 percent of the population in Germany has already contracted the disease.
Pfeiffer’s glandular fever is contagious
The pathogen is transmitted through saliva contact, which has given the disease its colloquial name. However, droplets scattered by coughing or sneezing also allow the virus to find additional victims indirectly.
After infection, it takes between 10 and 40 days for the first signs of illness to appear. The virus primarily affects the mucous membranes in the nose, mouth, and throat, as well as a subset of white blood cells called B lymphocytes.
After infection, one is immune
During infection, a person forms antibodies that provide him or her with lifelong immunity to the virus, that is, they protect against re-infection.
The disease usually lasts two to three weeks and almost always heals without complication.
What are the symptoms of mononucleosis?
The first symptoms are usually fatigue, difficulty concentrating and loss of appetite, which not at all infrequently affect the general condition, especially in adults, even weeks after the acute infection. Muscle aches and headaches also occur as signs of Pfeiffer’s glandular fever. Sometimes a fine-spotted skin rash also appears for a short time.
In young children, there are often no signs of the disease at all.
As the disease progresses, typical symptoms include swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck and throat, sometimes in other parts of the body, almost always coupled with moderate fever up to about 39 degrees Celsius (“glandular fever”). A sore throat also usually occurs, with a thick, white coating forming on the swollen tonsils and accompanied by difficulty swallowing.
Pfeiffer’s glandular fever: complications.
Rarely, the infection takes a more severe course, affecting not only the lymph nodes in the neck region but also the liver and spleen. This leads to nausea and upper abdominal discomfort, as well as impaired liver function and even jaundice.
The spleen swells, which can lead to a (life-threatening) rupture of the spleen. Very rarely, the infection also spreads to the brain, causing inflammation (encephalitis). Other organs such as the lungs, heart, or kidneys may also be affected by inflammation, and anemia or platelet deficiency may result.
The disease can be particularly severe in patients with a weakened immune system. For example, AIDS patients or people who have undergone organ transplantation are affected. In addition, the Epstein-Barr virus can lead to cancer of the lymph nodes or nasopharynx, especially in these affected individuals after some time.
