Mumps

Baby's First Year Milestones Slideshow

• What is mumps?
• Who can get mumps?
• What are the symptoms of mumps?
• Are there complications of mumps?
• How soon do symptoms appear?
• How is mumps spread?
• How long is an infected person able to spread the disease?
• What is the treatment for mumps?
• How do I protect myself (my kids/my family)?
• Related mumps articles:
  Mumps - on WebMD

Mumps Vaccine

• Is there a vaccine to prevent mumps?
• Is the vaccine effective/does it work?
• Where can I get the vaccine?
• What should I do if I don't know if I've been vaccinated?
• If I had mumps as a child, can I get it again/should I get vaccinated?
• If I was exposed to someone with mumps, what should I do?

What is mumps?

It is an infection caused by the mumps virus.

Who can get mumps?

Anyone who is not immune from either previous mumps infection or from vaccination can get mumps. Before the routine vaccination program was introduced in the United States, mumps was a common illness in infants, children and young adults. Because most people have now been vaccinated, mumps is now a rare disease in the United States. Of those people who do get mumps, up to half have very mild, or no symptoms, and therefore do not know they were infected with mumps.

What are the symptoms of mumps?

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).

Are there complications of mumps?

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.

Other rare complications include:

• Inflammation of the brain and/or tissue covering the brain and spinal cord (encephalitis/meningitis)



• Inflammation of the ovaries (oophoritis) and/or breasts (mastitis) in females who have reached puberty



• Spontaneous abortion particularly in early pregnancy (miscarriage)



• Deafness, usually permanent

Mumps - Describe Your Experience

The MedicineNet physician editors ask:

Please describe your experience with mumps.

Anonymously share your comment to help others.
Be the first to submit a comment

Submit Your Comment

From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com

Measles - Learn measles (rubeola) causes, signs and symptoms (rash, fever, Koplik spots), transmission facts and disease prevention (measles, mumps and rubella vaccination). Source:MedicineNet Childhood Vaccination Schedule - Read our printable children's immunization schedule and learn about vaccines for kids (Hib, polio, DTaP, MMR, HPV, flu, chickenpox, meningitis, rotavirus, pneumonia, hepatitis A and B). Source:MedicineNet German Measles (Rubella) - Get the facts on German measles (rubella) symptoms (red rash), causes (virus), infection during pregnancy and MMR vaccination. Learn how the disease is spread. Source:Government Read 59 more Mumps related articles ... 1 in 4 Toddlers Improperly Vaccinated CDC: Adult Vaccination Rates Too Low Mumps Outbreak in Midwest Could Have Been Worse U.S. Health Officials Back Off Preference for New MMRV Vaccine Mumps Vaccine Good, Not Perfect 4-in-1 Vaccine Ups Child Seizure Risk Measles Vaccine: No Autism Link