text: whats glanga fever?   infectious mononucleosis (also known in north america as mono, the kissing disease, or pfeiffer's disease, and more commonly known as glandular fever in other english-speaking countries) is a disease seen most commonly in adolescents and young adults, characterized by fever, sore throat, muscle soreness and fatigue (symptoms of a common cold or allergies). it is caused by the epstein-barr virus (ebv), which infects b cells (b-lymphocytes), producing a reactive lymphocytosis and the atypical t cells (t-lymphocytes).  the virus is typically transmitted from asymptomatic individuals through blood or saliva (hence "the kissing disease"), or by sharing a drink with friends/family, eating utensils, being coughed on, or being in close proximity of an infected person. the disease is far more contagious than is commonly thought. however, in rare cases a person may have a high tolerance to infection[citation needed].  the disease is so-named because the count of mononuclear leukocytes (white blood cells with a one-lobed nucleus) rises significantly. there are two main types of mononuclear leukocytes: monocytes and lymphocytes. they normally account for about 35% of all white blood cells. with infectious mononucleosis, it can become 50-70%. also, the total white blood count may increase to 10000-20000 per cubic millimeter.