Abstract

Epstein-Barr virus infection results in a spectrum of diseases, with the host immune response playing a key role in shaping the clinical manifestations. Infectious mononucleosis is the prototype EBV infection and is characterized by fever, sore throat, cervical and generalized lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and somatic complaints of fatigue and malaise. This condition generally is a benign, self-limited illness in healthy persons. In this article, the term “infectious mononucleosis” refers to the disease caused by primary EBV infection, although other agents can cause “infectious mononucleosis-like” disorders that are clinically similar to the EBV-associated disease.