• Virtually people will non exist able to get mono twice in their life.
  • That's considering in one case you're infected with the virus that causes mono, it remains inactive in your body.
  • However, those who are immunocompromised may be at a higher risk for the virus reactivating, and experiencing mono symptoms more than once.
  • This commodity was medically reviewed by Kristine Arthur, Medico, an internist at MemorialCare Medical Group in Laguna Woods, CA.
  • Visit Insider's Wellness Reference library for more than advice.

Infectious mononucleosis, or mono for short, is spread by the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), a member of the herpes family, through saliva or respiratory droplets.

More than xc% of people worldwide are infected with EBV. The virus will remain inactive for many of these people, and they'll never have any symptoms of mono.

All the same, at least 25% of young people who go infected with EBV volition develop symptoms of mono, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Just there's some practiced news — if y'all get mono, information technology'south nigh impossible to get it again. Here'southward why.

Can you get mono twice?

Once you've had mono, it'due south extremely unlikely that you lot'll get information technology over again months or even years afterwards.

When you've been infected with EBV, it remains in your pharynx and blood cells for the residue of your life — but is usually latent, or inactive. Your allowed organisation produces antibodies in your blood that assist protect you lot against a recurrence of EBV.

"This will give you permanent immunity from catching the virus again," says Dimitar Marinov, MD, an assistant professor in the department of hygiene and epidemiology at Medical University in Varna, Republic of bulgaria. "That's the reason why you cannot get mononucleosis twice."

However, EBV may periodically reactivate in your body, leading to higher levels of the virus in your saliva. Even if EBV does reactivate, at that place are usually no symptoms of mono in otherwise healthy people, Marinov says.

However, you could possibly still spread EBV to others, regardless of how long information technology's been since you were showtime infected, the CDC notes. That's why mono can exist contagious long after you've displayed symptoms.

People with weak immune systems are more than likely to go mono twice

However, if you lot have a weakened or suppressed immune arrangement, also known as beingness immunocompromised, then you're more at risk of getting mono more than in one case. If you have the following conditions, you lot are more likely to show symptoms of mono if EBV reactivates.

  • People with autoimmune diseases such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, or rheumatoid arthritis
  • People taking immunosuppressant medications, such every bit corticosteroids similar prednisone, to treat autoimmune diseases
  • Cancer patients
  • People with AIDS

Although it is unclear what can trigger a reactivation of EBV, it may be due to an activation of B cells — a blazon of white blood cells in your immune organisation — in response to an unrelated infection.

EBV invades your B cells and makes your torso produce an excessive number of lymphocytes, the round white blood cells in your lymph tissues, and produce fewer neutrophils, the white blood cells that boost your immune organization's ability to fight infection.

EBV-invaded B cells may proliferate more in people with weakened immune systems. This makes them more than likely than people with healthy immune systems to take severe symptoms caused by EBV.

In very rare cases, an EBV infection may develop into chronic active EBV (CAEBV). Instead of going fallow, EBV remains active and can lead to serious complications such as a weakened immune organisation, lymphomas, or organ failure. The only current cure for CAEBV is hematopoietic (blood cells) stem cell transplantation.

People from Asia, South and Cardinal America, and Mexico are more at risk for CAEBV, and it'due south mostly caused past genetic factors. "There are people with genetic variations in their immune cells who are more than susceptible to a CAEBV infection," Marinov says.

Other mutual illnesses that you might mistake for mono

Information technology'south rare that you'll actually get mono twice. So, if you've already had mono once, and yous think y'all're getting it again, information technology's more likely that you lot actually have another disease with like symptoms, such as strep throat or influenza.

Mono symptoms normally begin 4 to six weeks after you've been infected with EBV. The symptoms typically final from two to six or more weeks, which is much longer than they usually terminal for other viral infections.

Strep throat and influenza may resemble mono.
Yuqing Liu/Insider

Dissimilar mono, the common flu is acquired by an flu virus that can exist transmitted not just through saliva, just through the air and by touching contaminated objects.

Flu symptoms usually begin all of a sudden, soon later you lot get infected, rather than over time as they do with mono. The flu typically lasts from a week to 10 days.

And while mono and the flu are acquired past viruses, strep pharynx is acquired by group A Streptococcus bacteria, so information technology can be treated with antibiotics and volition unremarkably last less than one week.

The bottom line

If you've already had mono, and think you may have it again, check with your doctor, who tin make up one's mind if that'due south the example — or if you just take some other common affliction, like strep throat or flu.

Withal, in some cases, serious weather condition can as well brandish symptoms similar to mono. This includes hepatitis B, a virus that causes inflammation of the liver and has additional symptoms likewise those for mono, such every bit dark urine and yellowing of your skin. Yous should encounter a doc right away if you lot have these symptoms.

Related articles from Health Reference:

  • How to treat mono and the best ways to relieve your symptoms
  • How to tell if you have a fever without a thermometer
  • v ways to soothe a sore throat

Laura Goldman is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer who specializes in human being and animate being health topics. She writes about her favorite animals at i Still Honey Dogs.