• Almost people volition not exist able to get mono twice in their life.
  • That's considering once y'all're infected with the virus that causes mono, it remains inactive in your body.
  • However, those who are immunocompromised may be at a college gamble 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 Wellness Reference library for more advice.

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

More than 90% of people worldwide are infected with EBV. The virus will remain inactive for many of these people, and they'll never accept any symptoms of mono.

However, at to the lowest degree 25% of immature people who go infected with EBV volition develop symptoms of mono, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But in that location's some good news — if you get mono, it'southward almost impossible to get it again. Here's why.

Tin can you get mono twice?

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

When you've been infected with EBV, it remains in your throat and blood cells for the rest of your life — but is commonly latent, or inactive. Your allowed system produces antibodies in your blood that aid protect you confronting a recurrence of EBV.

"This will requite you permanent immunity from communicable the virus again," says Dimitar Marinov, MD, an assistant professor in the section of hygiene and epidemiology at Medical University in Varna, Bulgaria. "That'southward the reason why you cannot go 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 commonly no symptoms of mono in otherwise healthy people, Marinov says.

Even so, you could mayhap still spread EBV to others, regardless of how long information technology's been since y'all were first infected, the CDC notes. That'southward why mono tin be contagious long later on you've displayed symptoms.

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

However, if you accept a weakened or suppressed immune system, also known as being immunocompromised, then you're more at risk of getting mono more than than in one case. If you lot have the post-obit weather, yous 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 allowed organization — 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 blood cells that boost your immune organization'south power 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 caused by EBV.

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

People from Asia, South and Fundamental America, and Mexico are more at risk for CAEBV, and it's mostly acquired by genetic factors. "At that place are people with genetic variations in their immune cells who are more susceptible to a CAEBV infection," Marinov says.

Other common illnesses that you might mistake for mono

Information technology'south rare that you'll actually get mono twice. And so, if you've already had mono once, and you think you're getting it again, it'due south more likely that you really accept another affliction with similar symptoms, such equally strep throat or influenza.

Mono symptoms usually brainstorm four to six weeks subsequently you've been infected with EBV. The symptoms typically terminal from two to 6 or more weeks, which is much longer than they unremarkably last for other viral infections.

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

Unlike mono, the common flu is caused past an influenza virus that tin be transmitted non just through saliva, merely through the air and by touching contaminated objects.

Influenza symptoms usually brainstorm suddenly, before long after you lot become infected, rather than over fourth dimension as they exercise with mono. The flu typically lasts from a week to x days.

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

The bottom line

If you've already had mono, and think you lot may have it again, cheque with your medico, who can make up one's mind if that's the case — or if y'all only have another common illness, like strep throat or flu.

However, in some cases, serious weather can too display symptoms like to mono. This includes hepatitis B, a virus that causes inflammation of the liver and has additional symptoms besides those for mono, such as dark urine and yellowing of your skin. Yous should meet a doctor right away if you have these symptoms.

Related articles from Wellness Reference:

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

Laura Goldman is a Los Angeles-based freelance author who specializes in human and animal health topics. She writes virtually her favorite animals at i Still Love Dogs.