• Question: Is glandular fever contageous and what are the consequeses?

    Asked by sophied to Adam, Catherine, Karen, Leila, Nazim on 14 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Karen Masters

      Karen Masters answered on 13 Mar 2012:

      I know very little about glandular fever. You’re probably best off asking your GP about that. Your school nurse probably has good advice too.

    • Photo: Adam Stevens

      Adam Stevens answered on 14 Mar 2012:

      I think it is contagious but I don’t really know much about it, I’ve never had it thankfully!

    • Photo: Catherine Rix

      Catherine Rix answered on 14 Mar 2012:

      Glandular fever is an infectious disease that it caused by a virus. Where I used to work we made a test for glandular fever, which is also called infectious mononucleosis and sometimes the kissing disease! In order to test for it the doctor or nurse has to take a swab from your throat. The symptoms can be a bit like flu. Most people will have been exposed to it while they are very young and won’t even know that they have had it.

    • Photo: Leila Battison

      Leila Battison answered on 19 Mar 2012:

      Yes it’s very contagious, for up to 2 months after you first catch it! It’s sometimes called the Kissing disease because lots of people pass it on through their saliva when they kiss.

      When you catch it you get a high fever, and your lymph glands under your armpits and in your neck will swell and get sore. Although you will eventually get better, the virus stays in your body dormant for the rest of your life.

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