Detailed Information on Mumps

Mumps is an infection caused by the mumps paramyxo virus. Virus is transmitted through airborne droplets from the coughs and sneezes of infected people. Humans are the only known natural hosts. It can end up almost everywhere - the kidneys, thyroid gland, pancreas, sexual glands and, not least, the salivary gland. Mumps is the disease with the longest incubation period and can take as long as three weeks from infection to outbreak. Mumps most commonly occurs in children between age 2 and 12. It takes between 14-21 days for the symptoms of mumps to develop, after coming into contact with someone who has the virus.

Mumps is normally a mild disease, but in a minority of cases, there can be severe complications, such as deafness and meningitis. The most common complication is the inflammation of the testicles (orchitis) in males who have reached puberty, but rarely does this lead to fertility problems. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite followed by onset of parotitis (swollen and tender salivary glands under the ears on one or both sides). Mumps can lead to inflammation and swelling of the brain and other organs, although this is not common.

Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord) are both unusual complications of mumps. Additionally, mumps may influence the pancreas or, in females, the ovaries, causing pain and tenderness in parts of the abdomen. There is no explicit treatment for mumps. Symptoms may be relieved by the application of intermittent ice or heat to the affected neck area and by acetaminophen/paracetamol for pain relief. Treatment includes analgesics for pain, antipyretics for fever, and adequate fluid intake to prevent dehydration from fever and anorexia.

If the patient cannot swallow, I.V. fluid replacement may be used. Aspirin use is discouraged in young children because of studies showing an increased risk of Reye's syndrome. Acetaminophen or ibuprofens are commonly used to reduce fever and relieve discomfort. Mumps can be prevented by vaccination. The vaccine can be given alone or as part of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) immunization, which is usually given to children at 12 to 15 months of age. Warm salt water gargles, soft foods, and extra fluids may also help relieve symptoms. Bed rest is advised for the duration of the fever.

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