An infectious disease, thought to be caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, that affects the lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, and groin; it mainly affects adolescents and young adults. After an incubation period of up to 15 days, symptoms commence with swelling and tenderness of the lymph nodes, fever, headache, a sore throat, and loss of appetite. In some cases the liver is affected, causing hepatitis, or the spleen is enlarged. Glandular fever is diagnosed by the presence of large numbers of monocytes in the blood. Complications are rare but symptoms may persist for weeks before recovery.
A sudden and contagious illness marked by fever, swollen glands, and the presence of unusually shaped white blood cells in the bloodstream.