MUMPS
MUMPS
Mumps is
a viral
disease caused by the mumps virus. Initial
signs and symptoms often include fever, muscle pain, headache,
poor appetite, and feeling tired. This
is then usually followed by painful swelling of one or both
parotid salivary glands. Symptoms typically occur 16 to 18
days after exposure and resolve after seven to ten days. Symptoms in
adults are often more severe than in children. About a third of people
have mild or no symptoms. Mumps is highly contagious and
spreads rapidly among people living in close quarters. The virus is
transmitted by respiratory
droplets or direct contact with an infected
person. Only humans get and spread the disease. People are infectious
to each other from about seven days before the start of symptoms to about eight
days after. Once an infection has run its course, a person is
typically immune for life. Reinfection is possible but the ensuing
infection tends to be mild. Mumps is spread from person to person through
contact with respiratory secretions, such as saliva from an infected person. When
an infected person coughs or sneezes, the droplets aerosolize and can enter the
eyes, nose, or mouth of another person. Mumps can also be spread by sharing
eating utensils or cups. The virus can also survive on surfaces and then
be spread after contact in a similar manner. A person infected with mumps is
contagious from approximately seven days before the onset of symptoms until
about eight days after symptoms start. The incubation period (time
until symptoms begin) can be from 12–25 days, but is typically 16–18
days. 20-40 percent of persons infected with the mumps virus do not show
symptoms, so it is possible to be infected and spread the virus without knowing
it.
Epidemiology
Mumps occurs worldwide; the
peak incidence is typically in the late winter to early spring, although
sporadic outbreaks occur at any time of year. Mumps occurs most commonly among
school-aged children and college-aged young adults; it is rare among infants
less than one year of age, who have protection via maternal antibodies.
Prevention
§ Exclude
the person with mumps from childcare, preschool, school and work for 5 days after the onset of swelling
§ tissues and other objects soiled with nasal
secretions should be disposed of appropriately
§ mumps is best prevented by the measles,
mumps and
rubella (MMR) combination vaccine or the measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) combination vaccine
rubella (MMR) combination vaccine or the measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) combination vaccine
§ almost 100% of people who have had 2 doses of
a mumps-containing vaccine will be protected against mumps
§ Vaccination of contacts after exposure will
not stop the infection, though it will protect against future exposures.
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