Infectious mononucleosis (also known as
EBV infectious mononucleosis or
Pfeiffer's disease or
Filatov's disease[1] and colloquially as
kissing disease—from its oral transmission—or as
mono in
North America and as
glandular fever in other English-speaking countries) is an infectious, very widespread
viral disease caused by the
Epstein-Barr virus, a type of Herpes virus, which well over 90% of all adults are exposed to at some point in their life.
[2] Most people are exposed to the virus as children, when the disease produces no noticeable symptoms or only flu-like symptoms. In underdeveloped countries, people are exposed to the virus in early childhood more often than in developed countries, which is why the disease in its observable form is more common in developed countries. It is most common among adolescents and young adults.
[3]
Especially in
adolescents and young adults, the disease is characterized by
fever, sore throat and
fatigue, along with several other possible signs and symptoms. It is primarily diagnosed by observation of symptoms, but suspicion can be confirmed by several diagnostic tests.
The syndrome was described as an infectious process by
Nil Filatov[4] in 1887 and independently by
Emil Pfeiffer[5] in 1889.
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