Mumps fact sheet

	What is it?
	Symptoms
	How is it spread?
	Who gets it?
	Potential complications
	Prevention
	Diagnosis and treatment

Mumps is an acute viral illness caused by the mumps virus.

• About 1/3 of infected people have no symptoms.
• Symptoms can include fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, loss of appetite and/or respiratory tract symptoms; followed by swelling of salivary glands. Pain or tenderness may be noted upon opening the mouth or eating. The parotid salivary glands (which are located within your cheek, near your jaw line, below your ears) are most frequently affected.
• The first symptoms usually appear 12 to 25 days after exposure.

• The mumps virus is found most often in saliva. It is spread by direct contact with an infected person or by droplets through sneezes and coughs.
• People with mumps can spread the illness to others from 3 days before symptoms appear until about 5 days after symptoms appear.

• Most adults born before 1957 have been infected naturally and are probably immune.
• Mumps can occur in unimmunized children, adolescents, or adults.

• Possible complications include meningitis (swelling of the covering of the brain and spinal cord), encephalitis (swelling of the brain), deafness, and in adult males, swelling of the testicles.
• The virus may cause a miscarriage if a woman becomes infected during the first three months of pregnancy.

• The best way to prevent mumps is to be vaccinated against it.
• The mumps vaccine is given in one injection together with the measles and rubella vaccine, known as MMR vaccine.
• All children and adolescents should receive 2 doses of MMR, given no less than 4 weeks apart. Most children vaccinated at 12 to 15 months of age should receive the second dose at age 4 to 6 years. All older children and adolescents should receive the second dose at the next available opportunity, as long as there has been a 4 week interval since the previous dose.
• A second dose of MMR is recommended for adults who are:
  • Students in postsecondary educational institutions,
  • Working in a health care facility, or
  • Planning to travel internationally.

• Since mumps is caused by a virus, it can't be treated with antibiotics.
• If you or your child develops symptoms of mumps, consult your health care provider for diagnosis.
• The swelling caused by mumps usually goes away in about 10 days or less.
• Lab testing is required for diagnosis; this may include a swab of the inner cheek and a blood draw.