what causes glandular fever

Glandular fever (infectious mononucleosis or “mono”) is caused by a viral infection, most often the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), which spreads mainly through saliva such as kissing, sharing drinks, or close contact when someone coughs or sneezes. A few other infections can occasionally cause a very similar glandular-fever–type illness, but EBV is by far the main trigger.

What glandular fever is

• Glandular fever is an infectious illness that typically causes sore throat, fever, swollen neck glands and intense tiredness.

• It is most common in teenagers and young adults, which is why it is often nicknamed the kissing disease.

Main cause: Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)

• In most cases, glandular fever is caused by the Epstein–Barr virus, a member of the herpesvirus family.

• EBV usually enters through the mouth and throat, infects cells in the lining of the throat and certain white blood cells, and then spreads through the body’s lymphatic system, leading to swollen lymph nodes and spleen.

How the virus spreads

• EBV is found in saliva and spreads through:
  • Kissing
  • Sharing cups, glasses, bottles or cutlery
  • Exposure to coughs and sneezes at close range

• Children may catch it from saliva on shared toys or from carers’ hands, even if they do not develop obvious symptoms.

Why some people get “glandular fever” and others don’t

• Many people are infected with EBV in early childhood and either have no symptoms or only a mild illness, so it is never recognised as glandular fever.

• When infection happens for the first time in the teenage or young-adult years, the immune reaction is stronger, which is what typically causes full-blown glandular fever with prolonged fatigue and swollen glands.

Other infections that can mimic glandular fever

• A “glandular fever–like” illness can occasionally be caused by:
  • Cytomegalovirus (CMV), another herpesvirus
  • Rubella (German measles)
  • Toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection

• These conditions can create similar symptoms (sore throat, fever, swollen glands and fatigue), so doctors sometimes order blood tests to confirm the exact cause.

What happens after infection

• Once you have been infected with EBV, the virus usually remains in your body for life in a dormant state in throat and blood cells.

• The immune system produces antibodies that generally give lifelong immunity, so true glandular fever from EBV usually happens only once.

Quick Q&A style “forum” snapshot

Q: Is glandular fever always from kissing?
Not always. Any close contact with infected saliva, including sharing drinks or being coughed on at close range, can pass on EBV.

Q: Can stress or tiredness cause glandular fever on their own?
No. Stress can make you feel run down, but glandular fever itself needs an infection with EBV or a similar virus.

Q: Is it contagious the whole time you’re sick?
EBV can be shed in saliva for weeks or even months after infection, even when symptoms are improving.

TL;DR: Glandular fever is almost always caused by a first-time infection with the Epstein–Barr virus, spread mainly through saliva (kissing, sharing drinks, close contact), and occasionally by a few other viruses or infections that cause a very similar illness.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.