The virus is spread through direct contact with saliva from the mouth of an infected person and cannot be spread through blood contact. You can be exposed to the virus by a cough or sneeze, by kissing, or by sharing food or drinks with someone who has mono. It usually takes four to eight weeks for symptoms to develop after you’re infected. In adolescents and adults, the infection causes noticeable symptoms in 35 to 50 percent of cases. In children, the virus typically causes no symptoms and the infection often goes unrecognized. According to the Hospital Episode Statistics from the Department of Health in England, the severity of those infected with mono from 2002 to 2003 was so significant that 92 percent of those infected required hospitalization. Fifty-six of those hospitalized were men and 44 percent of those who were …show more content…
A startling 96 percent of those hospitalized for infectious mononucleosis needed emergency care and most patients remained in hospital for an average of two days. Seventy-seven percent of those hospitalized were between the ages of 15 and 59 with the average age being 19 years old. No one over 75 was hospitalized for mono in England according to the 2002-2003 statistics. Most Americans have been exposed to the virus at some point during their lives but don't get sick because their bodies have built antibodies against it. The numbers vary with statistics showing that between 90 and 95 percent of Americans have immunity against the illness by the time they reach adulthood. About 95 percent have had the EBV virus by the time they're 40. In the United States, the EBV virus affects 50 percent of children by the age of five, but 90 percent of