Quick guide to ... Mumps
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Mumps is a viral infection of the salivary glands and is transmitted through airborne droplets from the coughs and sneezes of infected people. It takes between 14 and 21 days for the symptoms to develop. Mumps is normally a mild illness, but in a minority of cases there can be severe complications
- Since 1988, when the childhood measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) immunisation was introduced, mumps has become less common in the UK. However, in recent years, there has been an increase in cases because some parents refuse to let their child have the MMR vaccine
- In mumps, one or both of the salivary glands swell up and become painful, creating the characteristic "hamster" appearance of a swollen face, particularly just below and in front of the ear. Other symptoms of mumps may include pain when chewing and swallowing, sore throat, fever, loss of appetite, dry mouth and headache
- When complications occur, they can be serious. One in four boys who catch mumps over the age of 12 may develop inflammation of one or both testicles. On rare occasions, women with mumps may experience swelling of their ovaries. Occasionally, brain inflammation occurs
7 - the number of days patients usually take to recover
1 in 10K - death rate for mumps cases
95% - effectiveness of the mumps component of the MMR vaccine
Source: NHS Choices and Health Protection Agency
