| OCR Text |
Show Health district gives report on local 'mono' cases Calls coming into the Uintah County health department show an outbreak of infectious mononucleosis "mono" in the area and reports from the state reveal cases throughout Utah. To help allay confusion about this little understood un-derstood disease, the Uintah Basin Health District highlights mononucleosis with the following information, in-formation, after consultating with Craig Nichols, Communicable Disease Control Officer from the Utah State Department of Health. Mono is an acute infectious disease caused by a virus related to the herpes group. It primarily affects young adults and children, although in children it is usually so mild that it is often overlooked. The symptoms can mimic those of many other infectious diseases including hepatitis, rubella and scarletina. Typically, after an incubation in-cubation period of about 4 to 6 weeks, infectious mono produces symptoms such as headache and fatigue. After 3 to 5 days of this, patients typically develop a triangle of symptoms: sore throat, swollen glands in the neck and fever from 101-103. Tonsillitis or a fine rash resembling rubella may occur and an enlarged spleen or liver may also develop. Symptoms usually subside after 6-10 days, but may persist for weeks, especially in adults. The treatment is mainly supportive: bed rest during the acute fever and sore throat. If symptoms persist, see family doctor. Children may return to school as soon as the fever is down. No isolation is necessary. Mono is only mildly contagious. Some people are carriers up to a year in 15 to 20 percent of young adults. Person to person contact is the mode of transmission, usually saliva to saliva. That's why it is sometimes called the "kissing disease." Swimming Swim-ming pools, preschools, etc. do not need to be closed during outbreaks because mono is not contagious. Complications are rare and prognosis is excellent. Another viral inflection, flu, is in the area right now, also, and good common sense habits of good hygiene and cleanliness, avoidance of chilling can all be very helpful. It is too late for flu shots now. They must be given early in the fall before the flu season hits and only to the elderly and high risk population (persons with chronic diseases or respiratory problems.) |
