Mumps (Infectious Parotitis)

Symptoms

Mumps is an acute viral disease with fever, swelling, and tenderness of one or more salivary glands, usually the parotid (neck) and sometimes the sublingual or submaxillary glands.

Diagnosis

Mumps should be diagnosed by a physician and confirmed by a laboratory test (urine test, blood test, buccal swab). Mumps is a reportable disease.

Mode of transmission

Mumps is spread through droplets (coughing and sneezing), direct contact with saliva and indirectly through items freshly soiled with the saliva of an infected person.

Incubation period

The incubation period for mumps is from 12 to 25 days, usually 16 to 18 days.

Period of communicability

Mumps is contagious from 7 days before, and up to 5 days after the onset of illness.
People with mumps are most infectious about 48 hours before swelling starts to 5 days after the onset of swelling.

Exclusion from school

Children with mumps should be kept home from school from the onset of the disease until 5 days after the start of swelling of salivary glands.

Prevention

Mumps is a vaccine preventable disease. The first dose of the vaccine is given on or soon after the first birthday. This vaccine is usually combined with other live vaccines (measles and rubella). A booster dose is required between the ages of 4 and 6.

Side effects of vaccine

5% of people may develop malaise and fever with or without a rash 7 to 12 days after immunization. Parotitis (swelling of the salivary glands) and mild skin rash may occasionally occur after immunization. This vaccine should not be given to pregnant individuals.