Causes of Infectious Mononucleosis based on Chinese medicine
In traditional Chinese medicine, exogenous pathogenic factors is the cause of the disease. Phlegm stagnation is the pathological basis. Its etiology and pathogenesis can be summarized as four asspects: poison, heat, phlegm, and stagnation. TCM studies report that stress and relaxation affect our immune systems. Stress can make your body more vulnerable to infection. So reducing stress may help prevent infection with viruses such as EBV.

Causes of Infectious Mononucleosis in western medicine
The Epstein-Barr virus causes mononucleosis in the majority of cases. This ubiquitous, highly contagious organism is a member of the Herpesviridae family of viruses (other viruses in this family include herpes simplex, varicella-zoster, cytomegalovirus, and human herpes virus 6 & 7). Cytomegalovirus (CMV) can sometimes also cause an illness with the symptoms of mononucleosis. A small percentage of college students contract mononucleosis each year. Causes of infectious mononucleosis are listed as follows:

1) In developed countries, it most often occurs in those of higher socioeconomic status.
2) Once infected, a person develops lifelong immunity to future infections from the disease.
3) EBV has been associated with the development of certain cancers, such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma and Burkitt's lymphoma.
4) EBV is transmitted through exposure to body fluids containing the virus.
5) It is most often transmitted via saliva.
6) It can also be spread through blood and genital
7) Mononucleosis most often occurs in people between 5-25 years of age, with the highest occurrence rate between 15-25 years of age.
8) By adulthood, most people have already been infected with EBV.
9) Not all individuals exposed to EBV, however, develop the symptoms of mononucleosis.