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.

Number of cases of mumps in England and Wales

Cases reported to the WHO per country per year

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.

Mumps FAQs

Mumps is caused by the mumps virus. When someone catches this virus, it moves from the respiratory tract (i.e. the nose, mouth and throat) to the parotid glands, which are the saliva-producing glands found on the side of your face. As the virus begins to reproduce, the glands swell.

Before immunisation, nearly everybody caught mumps, typically between five and 10 years of age. Mumps rarely causes anything more than a mild illness. One-third of those who catch it do not get ill at all.

You can view the number of reported cases of mumps in the UK each year here.

The pharmaceutical companies who manufactured these have stopped doing so.

It’s usually possible to diagnose mumps from the swelling of the parotid glands. If these glands don’t swell but your child’s GP still suspects mumps, they will take a viral culture by swabbing the inside of the cheek or throat. This is sent to a laboratory for testing.

While there’s no cure for mumps, the illness usually passes on its own within one to two weeks. You can help to relieve the symptoms by ensuring the person with mumps gets plenty of rest and fluids. You can also use painkillers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol (to the quantity recommended for the patient’s age) and apply a warm or cool compress to the swollen glands to help relieve any pain.

Currently, the only way to get vaccinated against mumps is with the 3-in-1 MMR vaccine offered through the NHS or at BabyJabs. There is no single mumps vaccine.

As there are limited options available for single vaccines as an alternative to the MMR, we typically suggest the following:

  1. Single measles vaccine from 15 months (as research suggests the vaccine has greater efficacy at this age) followed by a measles immunity test to see if a second dose of measles vaccine is required.
  2. All girls get a rubella and mumps immunity test and boys get a mumps immunity test in their teens.
  3. Girls can have either the Measles-Rubella or the MMR vaccine if they’re not immune. Boys can have the MMR to gain some mumps immunity.

Individual advice about protecting your child against mumps

Need advice about vaccinating your child against mumps? The BabyJabs team is here to listen and answer your questions to help you decide.