Mumps
Mumps used to be a common childhood viral infection but is now seen less frequently. It is characterised by painful swelling in the sides of the face under the ears (the parotid glands), which gives the face a full-cheeked appearance. A person with mumps is contagious for a few days before the swelling appears and a few days afterwards. The illness usually passes within one to two weeks.
Incubation period
17-19 days
Symptoms
Fever, Headache, Weakness, Sore throat, Swollen glands
Possible complications
Viral meningitis, Swelling of the testicles, Swelling of the brain, Hearing loss
About mumps
Mumps is a viral infection that used to be common in children. It’s characterised by painful swelling in the sides of the face under the ears (the parotid glands), which gives the face a full-cheeked, hamster-like appearance.
The illness is transmitted in the same way as a cold, flu or COVID, through infected drops of saliva that can be inhaled or picked up from surfaces and passed through the mouth or nose.
A person with mumps is contagious for a few days before the swelling appears and a few days afterwards. The illness usually passes within one to two weeks.
If you or your child has mumps, you can help to prevent it from spreading by regularly washing your hands with soap or hand sanitiser, using and disposing of tissues when you sneeze, and avoiding school, work or group activities for at least five days after the symptoms first develop.
Mumps symptoms
Mumps typically causes painful swelling of the salivary glands on the sides of the face under the ears. This may be accompanied by a fever, headache, weakness and sore throat. The whole illness usually lasts for one to two weeks.
Possible complications
Mumps is generally a mild illness but complications can occur.
In some cases, mumps causes viral meningitis. Unlike bacterial meningitis, which is regarded as a potentially life-threatening medical emergency, viral meningitis causes milder, flu-like symptoms, and the risk of serious complications is low. The most severe symptoms that children are likely to suffer from with viral meningitis are a mild headache and a stiff neck. Nearly all make a complete recovery.
Swelling of the testicles (orchitis) is rarely a problem before puberty (i.e. around 12 years of age). However, around a quarter of males who contract mumps after puberty will get orchitis – a painful swelling of usually one, but occasionally both, testicles. However, it is extremely rare for this to cause infertility, partly because it usually affects only one testicle.
About one in 3,000 children suffer from encephalitis – inflammation of the brain – and most make a full recovery. A permanent hearing loss may occur in about one in 20,000 cases of mumps, more commonly in adults and less so in children.
