Mono (infectious mononucleosis)
A condition usually caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) that typically occurs in teenagers. The virus is spread through saliva, which is why some people call it âthe kissing disease.â
Dr. Geoffrey Rutledge reviewed this
39 year experience in Internal Medicine
How long it usually lasts:
How common it is:
Baby 0-2 | Common | ||||
Preteen 6-13 | Very common | ||||
Teenager 14-18 | Very common | ||||
Young adult 19-40 | Very common | ||||
Middle-aged adult 41-60 | Common |
Symptoms
Risk factors
Related questions
A 40-year old asked:
I had infectious mononucleosis when I was 17. I have a friend who now has mono, can I catch it?
2 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in
A 37-year old asked:
What are signs someone is in the infectious stage of mono?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A 41-year old asked:
Help please? I want to know what are the infectious stages of mono?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A 27-year old female asked:
I had infectious mono as a child.Can it reoccur and does it weaken immune systems for life? Ty
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
A 18-year old female asked:
My friend got mono and she keeps on relapsing, her symptoms come back and she becomes infectious again. Is this normal? Will this keep happening?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
A 45-year old female asked:
How long does someone have mono before they run a fever and at what point are they contagious?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
A 28-year old female asked:
Blood test just confirmed that the mono virus has reactivated in my body. What do I do now? And am i contagious?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
A 17-year old female asked:
How long is somebody with mono contagious after they get over it? And can you get it more than one? And how rare is a splenic rupture
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A 22-year old asked:
Is mono contagious?
3 doctor answers • 9 doctors weighed in
A female asked:
How long is mono contagious?
2 doctor answers • 8 doctors weighed in
A 50-year old asked:
I'm wondering how long is mono contagious for?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
A 49-year old asked:
Is mono contagious after the symptoms are gone?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
A 44-year old asked:
Is mono contagious to others that you don't kiss?
1 doctor answer • 6 doctors weighed in
A 34-year old asked:
Are you contagious during incubation prriod of mono?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A 37-year old asked:
Should I go to work if I have mono? How contagious is it?
1 doctor answer • 5 doctors weighed in
A 34-year old female asked:
I have a friend hrs has mono. Do I need to stay a way from her? Is contagious ?
2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in
A 47-year old asked:
My doctor says i'm in the recovery from mono. Am I still contagious?
2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in
A 30-year old asked:
I had mono about 6 or 7 weeks ago, but how long will my saliva be contagious for?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A 18-year old female asked:
I was recently told I had mono. Am i contagious and can i give it to my boyfriend if we kiss or if we performs oral sex on each other?
1 doctor answer • 6 doctors weighed in
A 30-year old male asked:
How long after someone has EBV are they contagious through kissing? How about for people with "chronic mono" (regardless of how real that is)?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
A 18-year old female asked:
I had mono when I was younger, could that have been EBV, if so am I still contagious or does the body get rid of it ?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
A 55-year old female asked about a 18-year old female:
18yo with mono w complications. In hospital x1wk. Out of hospital x1wk and wants to travel and visit relatives for holiday. Advisable? Contagious?
2 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in
A 51-year old female asked:
Public librarian & work w/moms/kids/elderly. Just diagnosed w/acute CMV @ highly contagious stage, very mono-like. I have no sick leave. No extra $$. What risk for public if i return to work now?
3 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
A female asked:
Dating and mono hi! i was diagnosed with mono on 9/21/11. My symptoms started showing about 1.5 weeks prior. I am feeling much better but i've read that you can be contagious for the first 6 months --not sure if that means from the date of infection (incu
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A 27-year old asked:
How long is someone contagious with mono?
3 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in
A 44-year old asked:
Docs, usually how long is mono contagious for?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A 39-year old asked:
Any insights on when does mono become contagious?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A 37-year old asked:
Already having mono once and getting it again, still contagious?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A female asked:
Is mono still contagious to me? My boyfriend recently had it and i was around him, and didn't get sick. He's over it now, but i don't know if we could kiss again or not.
2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in
A 70-year old female asked about a female:
My 8yr old daughter was diagnosed with mono and strep throat about 4 months ago . we have had many recuring events since then . infectious dr. said yo?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
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