Mononucleosis: Can it recur?

It is rare to have mononucleosis more than once from the same germ. Mononucleosis, also called mono, is the result of a viral infection. Most cases are caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. Once you catch the virus, also called EBV, you carry it for the rest of your life. EBV may reactivate in your body from time to time, but you likely won't have symptoms.

After you recover from mono caused by EBV, it's possible to get a similar illness from a different virus. Examples include cytomegalovirus (CMV), adenovirus, hepatitis viruses and HIV. Also, an infection with the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis can mimic mono.

Talk with your healthcare professional if you've had mono before, and you think you have symptoms of it again. Mono symptoms can include:

• Extreme tiredness.
• Headache or body aches.
• Fever.
• Sore throat.
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
• Rash.

It's important to see a healthcare professional because the spleen can swell during a mono infection. If the spleen is damaged while swollen, it can be life-threatening. For that reason, people with mono may need to stop doing sports where the chest and stomach area could be hit. They also may need to delay activities such as weightlifting, where the stomach muscles are put under pressure.