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Infectious mononucleosis -- known popularly as "mono" or "the kissing disease" -- has been recognized for more than a century. An estimated 90 percent of mononucleosis cases are caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a member of the herpes virus group. Most of th ....

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.... out of every 100,000 Americans have mononucleosis symptoms. Among college students, the rate is several times higher. Mononucleosis does not occur in any particular "season," although authorities in colleges and schools, where the disease has been well studied, report that they see most patients in the fall and early spring. Epidemics do not occur, but doctors have reported clustering of cases. Transmission: EBV, the virus that causes most cases of mononucleosis, infects and reproduces in the salivary glands. It also infects white blood cells called B cells. Direct contact with virus-infected saliva, such as through kissing, can transmit the virus an ....