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Mononucleosis

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The Kiss Of Death Everyone has shared a kiss with either their parents, significant other, or their children. Imagine if that kiss could potentially lead to the rupture of the liver or spleen from something appearing so harmless. Mononucleosis (mono) is a contagious disease spread through saliva, kissing, cough or sneeze, or sharing food or drinks (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research [MFMER], 2016). In order to fully understand how Mono affects a person, one needs to look at the causes, symptoms, how it is transmitted, what complications come from it, and how it is treated. It will be discussed the mortality rate, morbidities involved, the incidence of obtaining Mono, and how prevalent it is. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014), the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the most common cause of Mono with symptoms appear four to six weeks after someone gets infected by EBV. The symptoms for Mono include fatigue, a sore throat that may not get better with the use of antibiotics, fever, swollen lymph nodes in the neck or arm pits, swollen tonsils, headache, skin rash, and possibly a soft and swollen spleen (MFMER, 2016). Enlarged spleen or liver are less common but may continue to be enlarged even after the patient has less fatigue (CDC, 2014). Symptoms usually go away roughly around four to six weeks, some people may still have fatigue for several more weeks, and some symptoms can last up to six months or longer (CDC, 2014). According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (2016), in certain cases, the spleen can become enlarged and even rupture causing pain in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen leading to surgery. A patient with Mono may also have liver problems such as hepatitis with inflammation of the liver or develop yellowing of the skin, eyes called jaundice (MFMER, 2016). Less common

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