# Nephew has mono; Should I be concerned about grandparents at Xmas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 23, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nephew-has-mono-should-i-be-concerned-about-grandparents-at-xmas/478390 "2008-12-23T00:25:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nephew-has-mono-should-i-be-concerned-about-grandparents-at-xmas/478390/1 "2008-12-23T00:25:17Z")
We’re having Christmas at my house this year. My wife’s parents are in their 80’s and are coming. My sister wasn’t going to come because they were taking my nephew skiing for a senior present. But now my nephew has mono, so they’re not going skiing, so they’re coming here. He’s 17, and had it at least as of Dec. 8th, but I’m not sure how much earlier than that. All I know is “he has mono”, so if that can mean different things, I don’t know which it would be. Is this a concern for my wife’s parents? Her mother, in particular, had knee replacement surgery a few years ago and is on immunosuppressants (sp?). She has to take antibiotics just to go in for a teeth cleaning at the dentist. On the other hand, you (well, I) never hear of people that old getting mono. [WebMD.com](http://WebMD.com) says “Most people have been exposed to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which causes mono, by the time they reach adulthood. They likely won’t have symptoms, but they can spread the virus to others every now and then throughout their lifetime.” They [share opłatki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Op%C5%82atek#Polish_tradition) ever year near Christmas, so it’s almost inconceivable she wouldn’t have been exposed. That’s really all I know. I don’t even know if he’s planning on coming. I need to call my sister and ask, but I’m in such a state of ignorance as to whether this is even an issue, I don’t know what to say. ---
**Author:** ![Apex\_Rogers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@Apex\_Rogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apex_Rogers)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nephew-has-mono-should-i-be-concerned-about-grandparents-at-xmas/478390/2 "2008-12-23T07:04:18Z")
IANAD, but I’ll help frame the issue and provide some information that I’ve found. There seems to be two things to consider here: 1. How long is mono contagious? and 1. Is it safe to expose an immuno-compromised person to the disease? For 1), according to [this page](http://kidshealth.org/teen/infections/common/mono_contagious.html): > [@](#): > > Doctors and researchers aren’t exactly sure how long someone with mono stays contagious after symptoms are gone. But it’s generally believed that a person can spread the infection for many months after the symptoms are completely gone — some studies show as long as 18 months. But after that, it’s very unlikely that a person will give someone else mono. So it would seem safe to assume that grandma and grandpa **will** be exposed to the pathogen on their visit. For 2), according to [this site](http://www.essortment.com/all/mononucleosisep_rnrj.htm): > [@](#): > > Why is it so dangerous for people with AIDS to get Mono? > > The AIDS virus damages the immune systems defenses making it hard for the person to fight off diseases. If a person with AIDS gets the Epstein-Barr virus or mono it could cause some kinds of cancer or other serious complications. \*\*This is also the same for people with weak immune systems. \*\* Emphasis added. I think in light of grandma’s compromised immune system it would be prudent to avoid contact between her and your nephew. Again, IANAD, so I will defer to the more knowledgeable Dopers who will undoubtedly chime in, but on the face of things this looks like a Bad Idea. E: One last item is that it is not unheard of for elderly people to contract the disease. From the second cite: > [@](#): > > Anyone from babies to the elderly can get mono ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nephew-has-mono-should-i-be-concerned-about-grandparents-at-xmas/478390/3 "2008-12-23T07:43:55Z")
Tell the grandparents no tongue when they kiss him hello. I am so going to hell for that! ---
**Author:** ![Pixilated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aeb1de/32.png) [@Pixilated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixilated)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nephew-has-mono-should-i-be-concerned-about-grandparents-at-xmas/478390/4 "2008-12-23T11:52:44Z")
When I took my youngest to the doc’s a few weeks ago one of the possibilities was Mono (but it was too soon to tell). When I was teasing my daughter about swapping spit - the doctor jumped in and indicated that it is a misconception that Mono is only spread via sharing glasses, kissing, etc. He indicated that it can be spread very much like a cold - coughing, sneezing, not washing hands… Now, having had Mono myself at that age, I seriously doubt the nephew will feel like doing anything but sleeping/resting for several weeks. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nephew-has-mono-should-i-be-concerned-about-grandparents-at-xmas/478390/5 "2008-12-23T12:10:39Z")
I had a doctor once feel up my lymph nodes and tell me I’d already had mono. Dunno if that’s true or works on everyone, but maybe the grandparents could get the feel up. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nephew-has-mono-should-i-be-concerned-about-grandparents-at-xmas/478390/6 "2008-12-24T13:49:43Z")
Thanks everyone. It turns out my wife was worried because her Mom was worried, but her Mom wasn’t worried about herself or her husband. She was worried about our kids (9, 11, and 13) getting it. My wife didn’t pick up on that the first time she talked to her Mom. I’m not worried about our kids. I figure, better now than in college. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nephew-has-mono-should-i-be-concerned-about-grandparents-at-xmas/478390/7 "2008-12-24T19:18:00Z")
FWIW, one of our daughters had mono years back and nobody in the household got sick. We were advised to either use disposable utensils and plates for her, or to be sure they were washed at the highest temperature we could get in the dishwasher. ---
**Author:** ![fandango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b5ac83/32.png) [@fandango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fandango)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2008, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nephew-has-mono-should-i-be-concerned-about-grandparents-at-xmas/478390/8 "2008-12-25T00:43:54Z")
My wife just got over Cytomegalovirus which is the second-most common cause of mono. the Dr. said that most people got it when they were little, but they never knew it because only a small fraction of people show symptoms. Chances are the old folks already got it decades ago.