This viral infection called mononucleosis, also known as kissing disease or glandular fever, mainly affects children and adolescents and usually leaves them with lifelong immunity.
Mononucleosis: transmission and incubation period.
Caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, mononucleosis, a predominantly benign disease, is transmitted by droplet infection or saliva (kissing, coughing).
After infection with the virus, mononucleosis usually breaks out after an incubation period of 5 to 7 days. However, some cases of mononucleosis may have an incubation period of up to 7 weeks.
Symptoms of glandular fever in the case of mononucleosis
The disease received the name glandular fever from the German internist Emil Pfeiffer (1846 – 1921) because of the typical symptoms such as fever and swelling of the lymph nodes.
In glandular fever, swelling of the lymph nodes is often observed in the neck area, but in principle this can occur all over the body. Other possible symptoms of mononucleosis include liver and spleen enlargement and tonsillitis.
Duration, course, and treatment of mononucleosis.
The severity of the expression as well as the duration of the disease varies from individual to individual. Normally, mononucleosis progresses without complications or permanent damage.
Patients are strongly advised to take bed rest. If the spleen is enlarged, physical exertion may cause rupture of the spleen.
Since mononucleosis is a viral disease, it is not treated with antibiotics. In fact, extreme caution is required here: Dangerous complications can occur after ingestion. Therefore, treatment of mononucleosis is usually limited to fever-reducing measures.
