“Mononucleosis or ‘kissing disease’ is caused in most cases by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the rarer Cytomegalovirus (CMV). 80% of adults have antibodies for EBV, we find it in the saliva of adults who are not aware of having it. It is nicknamed the kissing disease precisely because newborns get the infection from the kiss of an adult, hence the recommendation of mothers not to kiss babies on the mouth, but EBV is found in all objects where saliva settles, from toys that newborns put in their mouths to cutlery”. This is explained to Adnkronos Salute by virologist Mauro Pistello, director of the Virology Unit of the University Hospital of Pisa and vice president of the Italian Society of Microbiology, on the eve of July 6, International Kissing Day.
How is mononucleosis diagnosed? “From the analysis of white blood cells and then there are specific markers for EBV – the virologist answers – This virus causes what is called lymphocytosis, it infects lymphocytes and stimulates them to proliferate in an uncontrolled way, almost ‘immortalizes’ them. On the other hand, the immune system intervenes with T cells that destroy the virus which, if not kept under control, could also lead to lymphomas and leukemia. But in most people the symptoms are a fever that can last for a long time, even 2 weeks, a sore throat with whitish plaques, persistent tiredness. In rare cases in adults it can lead to an enlargement of the spleen, but in an immunocompetent subject everything resolves quickly, while children can be completely asymptomatic even if the virus infects them in the first few months precisely with the kiss of adults”.
If the kissing disease in those who contract it as a child can at most cause them to skip school, in some parts of the world, such as Africa, “it can cause lymphomas in subjects with immune system problems, but they respond well to chemotherapy”. To deal with mononucleosis “there is no specific therapy, it resolves without after-effects – concludes Pistello – Immunoglobulins are being evaluated, but it is still not clear whether they work or not. The Epstein-Barr virus lives in very balanced with the human organism, it knows how to hide and nest very well, so it is not easy to ‘catch’ it. There are also studies on a possible vaccine, but we are still far away”.
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