• Most people volition not be able to get mono twice in their life.
  • That's because once you're infected with the virus that causes mono, information technology remains inactive in your body.
  • However, those who are immunocompromised may be at a college risk for the virus reactivating, and experiencing mono symptoms more than once.
  • This article was medically reviewed by Kristine Arthur, MD, an internist at MemorialCare Medical Group in Laguna Wood, CA.
  • Visit Insider's Health Reference library for more advice.

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

More than 90% 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.

However, at least 25% of young people who go infected with EBV will develop symptoms of mono, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Merely there'due south some good news — if you go mono, information technology'southward almost incommunicable to become it again. Here's why.

Tin you go mono twice?

Once you've had mono, it's extremely unlikely that you'll get information technology again months or even years after.

When y'all've been infected with EBV, information technology remains in your throat and blood cells for the residual of your life — just is usually latent, or inactive. Your immune arrangement produces antibodies in your blood that help protect you 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, Bulgaria. "That's the reason why you cannot get mononucleosis twice."

Yet, EBV may periodically reactivate in your torso, leading to higher levels of the virus in your saliva. Even if EBV does reactivate, there are usually no symptoms of mono in otherwise healthy people, Marinov says.

Still, y'all could mayhap still spread EBV to others, regardless of how long it'south been since you were first infected, the CDC notes. That'due south why mono can be contagious long later you've displayed symptoms.

People with weak allowed systems are more likely to get mono twice

Nonetheless, if you accept a weakened or suppressed allowed organisation, also known as being immunocompromised, then you lot're more at take chances of getting mono more than in one case. If you accept the following atmospheric condition, you are more than 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 as corticosteroids like prednisone, to care for 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 type of white blood cells in your immune organisation — in response to an unrelated infection.

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

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

In very rare cases, an EBV infection may develop into chronic agile EBV (CAEBV). Instead of going fallow, EBV remains active and tin can lead to serious complications such every bit a weakened allowed system, lymphomas, or organ failure. The simply current cure for CAEBV is hematopoietic (blood cells) stem prison cell transplantation.

People from Asia, South and Central America, and United mexican states are more at risk for CAEBV, and information technology's mostly caused by genetic factors. "There are people with genetic variations in their immune cells who are more susceptible to a CAEBV infection," Marinov says.

Other mutual illnesses that y'all might mistake for mono

It's rare that you'll actually get mono twice. And so, if you've already had mono one time, and yous think you're getting it again, it's more probable that you lot really have another illness with similar symptoms, such as strep throat or influenza.

Mono symptoms usually begin four to six weeks after you've been infected with EBV. The symptoms typically last from 2 to six or more than weeks, which is much longer than they usually last for other viral infections.

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

Unlike mono, the common flu is caused by an flu virus that can be transmitted not only through saliva, but through the air and by touching contaminated objects.

Flu symptoms usually begin of a sudden, presently later on you go infected, rather than over fourth dimension equally they do with mono. The flu typically lasts from a week to 10 days.

And while mono and the flu are caused by viruses, strep throat is acquired by group A Streptococcus bacteria, and so information technology can exist treated with antibiotics and will usually terminal less than one week.

The bottom line

If y'all've already had mono, and remember you may accept it once again, check with your doctor, who can make up one's mind if that's the case — or if you just have another common disease, similar strep throat or flu.

Nonetheless, in some cases, serious weather condition can likewise display symptoms similar to mono. This includes hepatitis B, a virus that causes inflammation of the liver and has additional symptoms besides those for mono, such as night urine and yellowing of your skin. You lot should see a doctor right away if you have these symptoms.

Related articles from Health Reference:

  • How to treat mono and the all-time ways to save your symptoms
  • How to tell if you lot accept a fever without a thermometer
  • 5 ways to soothe a sore throat

Laura Goldman is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer who specializes in homo and animate being health topics. She writes about her favorite animals at i All the same Love Dogs.