Topic Overview

What is mumps?

Mumps is a contagious viral infection that can cause painful swelling of the parotid glands, which are the salivary glands located between the ear and the jaw.

What causes mumps?

Mumps is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes, as well as through contact with contaminated items such as tissues, drinking glasses, and dirty hands. Usually, infected people are contagious a day or two before the first symptoms appear, although they can spread the virus any time from 7 days before to 9 days after symptoms appear.

What are the symptoms?

Mumps can affect many body systems and cause flulike symptoms, abdominal pain, swollen cheeks, and swollen and painful testicles. However, up to 20% of people infected with the mumps virus do not have any symptoms. 1

How is mumps diagnosed?

Mumps is most often diagnosed by a history of exposure to the disease, the presence of swelling and tenderness of the parotid glands, and other symptoms, including neck stiffness, headache, and painful testicles.

If needed, blood tests, such as an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA, EIA), can be done to confirm the diagnosis and eliminate the possibility that another illness is causing the symptoms.

The mumps virus itself can be identified with a viral culture of samples of urine, saliva, or cerebrospinal fluid obtained by a lumbar puncture.

How is it treated?

In most cases, people recover from mumps with rest and care at home. In complicated cases, hospitalization may be required.

Can mumps be prevented?

Mumps can almost always be prevented by getting a series of injections with the combination measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. The first MMR injection usually is given around 12 to 15 months of age. Most babies do not become infected with mumps during their first year of life because of the temporary immunity they acquired during fetal development.

Before researchers discovered the mumps vaccine, mumps was a common childhood disease in the United States. Now, thanks to widespread immunization programs, the number of cases has dropped steadily. In 1999, only 352 cases were reported. 1

Frequently Asked Questions

Learning about mump:
What are mumps?
What are the symptoms?
When are mumps immunizations given?

Being diagnosed:
What kinds of exams and tests are used?

Getting treatment:
What is the treatment?
What can I do at home?

Ongoing concerns:
Are there complications?
When should my child be immunized?
Can the vaccine for mumps cause autism?
Is it safe to travel to countries where mumps is common?