Ebv how long does it last

It is common among teenagers and young adults, especially college students. At least one out of four teenagers and young adults who get infected with EBV will develop infectious mononucleosis. Typical symptoms of infectious mononucleosis usually appear four to six weeks after you get infected with EBV. Symptoms may develop slowly and may not all occur at the same time. Enlarged spleen and a swollen liver are less common symptoms.

For some people, their liver or spleen or both may remain enlarged even after their fatigue ends. Most people get better in two to four weeks; however, some people may feel fatigued for several more weeks. Occasionally, the symptoms of infectious mononucleosis can last for six months or longer. EBV is the most common cause of infectious mononucleosis, but other viruses can cause this disease.

Typically, these viruses spread most commonly through bodily fluids, especially saliva. However, these viruses can also spread through blood and semen during sexual contact, blood transfusions, and organ transplantations. Diagnosing EBV infection can be challenging because the symptoms are similar to other illnesses. EBV infection can be confirmed with a blood test that detects antibodies. About nine out of ten of adults have antibodies that show that they have a current or past EBV infection.

For more information, see Laboratory Testing. There is no vaccine to protect against EBV infection. You can help protect yourself by not kissing or sharing drinks, food, or personal items, like toothbrushes, with people who have EBV infection. There is no specific treatment for EBV.

However, some things can be done to help relieve symptoms, including. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Epstein-Barr Virus and Infectious Mononucleosis. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. On This Page. That person might not feel ill or show any mono symptoms, but can spread the virus to other people.

So there's a very small chance that people who have had mono in the past can pass it to others, even when they feel OK. The bottom line is that it's hard to prevent mono from spreading. Because EBV is so sneaky, infections are common. That's why doctors urge everyone to wash their hands well and often.

It's the best way to keep germs at bay. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size.