Ancic coping the Kissing Disease

Mononucleosis is known by varied names including Infectious Mononucleosis (IM) or EBV Infectious Mononucleosis or glandular fever or Pfeiffer's disease or Filatov's disease or sometimes colloquially as the kissing disease.

Mononucleosis is an infectious, widespread viral disease caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a type of herpes virus to which more than 90 per cent of adults have been exposed.

Once the acute symptoms of an initial infection disappear they often do not return. But once infected, the patient carries the virus for the rest of his life.

Occasionally, the symptoms can recur at a later period.

The classic symptoms of mononucleosis are a sore throat, fever, fatigue, malaise, inflammation of the pharynx, vomiting and loss of appetite.

Common signs are enlarged lymph nodes, enlarged spleen, inflammation of cells in the liver and even burst red blood cells.

Ancic was diagonised with the illness and unfortunately, had his career cut short by Mononucleosis.

However, he insisted that he is coping with the illness. "It is under control at the moment, but unfortunately it got too bad especially on my back and I was unable to train full time.

"I had to train less than what I wanted and in professional sport it is very hard and one cannot go halfway. In the end my body broke down and I could not go on," Ancic said.