Mono how fast does it spread

People who take antiviral medication to treat mono may recover quicker , but the evidence is not conclusive. More research is necessary to examine this treatment and whether it affects how contagious the virus is. The virus may reactivate in anyone who has EBV in their body. This means that the virus becomes contagious again. Some people will have no symptoms when the virus reactivates.

In people with weakened immune systems, however, reactivation may cause some symptoms. Genetics could also play a role in EBV infection, immunity, and the potential effects of the virus. However, this area requires further research. The symptoms of mono vary for each person. Some people only have mild symptoms.

Others feel very ill and may find it difficult to continue with daily activities. People may notice symptoms 4—6 weeks after contracting EBV. Doctors refer to this as the incubation period. Symptoms typically appear gradually before increasing in intensity. The duration of symptoms varies for everyone. Most people will recover in 2—4 weeks. However, some people have symptoms that last for over 6 months. The most common cause of mono is an EBV infection. The virus typically spreads through bodily fluids.

People can transmit EBV to others through saliva. This means that EBV can spread through kissing or sharing items such as cutlery and toothbrushes. It is difficult to prevent the spread of EBV.

Many people carry the virus without symptoms and pass it on to others. People with mono should avoid kissing others while the virus is active. They should also avoid sharing anything that touches their mouth, including:. They're most contagious from right before symptoms start until they go away. But they can stay contagious for months after their symptoms have cleared up.

Then, the virus stays dormant inactive in the body for the rest of their life. That means it can sometimes show up in their spit and get passed on to someone else. If you've shared drinks with or kissed someone who has mono, there's no way to tell whether you will get it — unless you know you've had mono before.

People who have already been infected with EBV in the past probably won't get sick from EBV again because they have developed antibodies and are immune to it. It takes a while for mono symptoms like tiredness, fever, muscle aches, headache, or sore throat to show up — about 1—2 months, in fact. This is called the incubation period. To make things even more confusing, some people can carry the virus without ever getting any mono symptoms.

So they may not know they have been infected, but they can still pass it to others. In fact, most people have been infected with EBV by the time they reach adulthood. People are definitely contagious while they have symptoms, which can last 2—4 weeks or even longer.

Health experts aren't sure how long people with mono stay contagious after symptoms are gone, but it seems they can spread the infection for months after that.