Mononucleosis is a viral infection. While anyone can contract it, mono typically affects teenagers.
This disease comes with a high fever and swollen glands. Additionally, it causes a sore throat and a headache. It also comes with fatigue.
In most cases, the effects of mono fade within a month or two. But there could be some lasting health effects. Mono can have an impact on your risk of autoimmune diseases.
New Insights Into the Effects of Mono
Autoimmune diseases can be inherited. But your risk of autoimmune diseases depends on environmental factors too.
Researchers from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center have found fascinating new results. They say that the virus that causes mono can trigger these diseases.
This virus is called EPV. Most people have it. It is actually the most common virus that infects humans.
It only causes mono some of the time. In children, it usually doesn’t show any symptoms at all.
But it seems that EPV comes with an unexpected danger. How can it put you at risk of autoimmune diseases?
This virus can change your genetic code. It turns on genes that can increase your risk of inherited autoimmune diseases.
Which Diseases Can the Mono Virus Trigger?
The EPV virus can activate genes that can cause lupus or multiple sclerosis.
Additionally, it can lead to type 1 diabetes. You may also develop celiac disease or irritable bowel syndrome.
A Final Word
Medical science is still working on how autoimmune diseases activate.
Having mono won’t necessarily cause problems later. But this discovery will let scientists make some very important progress. The EPV vaccine could help protect people from these diseases as well as from mono.
