Similarity of manifestations of epidemic processes of infectious mononucleosis and upper respiratory tract infections

Abstract

Abstract . The similarity of clinical manifestations of infectious mononucleosis with upper respiratory tract infections is analyzed. The article substantiates the possibility of detecting the presence of common epidemiological patterns of infectious mononucleosis and upper respiratory tract infections. Strong direct correlations were found between long-term and intra-annual dynamics of infectious mononucleosis and upper respiratory tract infections, as well as a significant excess of infectious mononucleosis in children aged 1–17 years and upper respiratory tract infections in children aged 0–17 years over other age groups in Moscow in 2009–2018. It was found that the similarity of manifestations of epidemic processes of infectious mononucleosis and upper respiratory tract infections is due to the action of the aerosol transmission mechanism and consists in the coincidence of long-term and intra-annual dynamics of morbidity and the community of risk groups (children from 1 to 17 years). We have found that differences of these diseases due to the presence of infectious mononucleosis, additional modes of transmission and the long incubation period and polyetiological group of infections of the upper respiratory tract, and occur in higher levels in the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections; seasonal peaks of incidence that falls on different months; the incidence rate among children under one year. Polymorphism of clinical manifestations, lack of clear diagnostic criteria and laboratory interpretation of diagnoses for both nosologies suggest that there is a significant proportion of diseases caused by the Epstein – Barr virus in the structure of upper respiratory tract infections. This assumption requires further in-depth study.