Mumps is an infection of the salivary
glands caused by a virus
Mumps usually occurs in school-age children, although
young adults may also catch the disease. Almost everyone
born before 1957 has already had mumps. It is most common
in late winter and spring.
Mumps virus is spread by contact with infected
secretions from the nose or throat
The virus is present in these secretions from six days
before onset of symptoms up to nine days after salivary
gland swelling. During this period a person can spread
the virus. Children should not attend school for 9 days
from the beginning of salivary gland swelling.
Symptoms to look for:
- Swollen and tender salivary glands (sides of the cheeks)
- Swollen and tender testes in teenage and adult men
- Fever
As many as one person out of three who has mumps will
not have any symptoms. Mumps symptoms begin 14 to 25 days
(usually 15 to 18 days) after exposure.
Although most people recover fully, mumps can
cause complications
Complications of mumps include infections of the brain
(encephalitis) and the covering of the brain (meningitis),
orchitis, and deafness. Pregnant women who get mumps
during the first 3 months of pregnancy are at risk of
having miscarriages. Once you have had mumps, you are
immune and can't catch it again.
Mumps can be prevented with mumps vaccine
Mumps vaccine is recommended for children at 12 months
of age, with a second dose recommended at 4 to 6 years
of age. This vaccine is given as measles-mumps-rubella
(MMR) vaccine. Persons of any age who are unsure of their
mumps disease history and/or mumps vaccination history
should be vaccinated, especially if they are likely to
be exposed. Women should not get vaccine if they are pregnant
or plan to get pregnant within 3 months after getting
vaccine.
A pregnant woman should check with her doctor
if she has been in contact with a case
A pregnant woman should check with her doctor if she
has been in contact with a person who has mumps or if
she has symptoms of mumps. Pregnant women do not necessarily
need to be excluded from settings where mumps cases are
occurring since the risk to any pregnant woman depends
on whether she is already immune (from vaccination or
catching the disease as a child). Each exposure needs
to be individually evaluated. The doctor may want to check
her blood to see if she is already immune to mumps.
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to Fact Sheet Index
Maryland Department of Health & Mental
Hygiene
Office of Epidemiology and Disease Control Programs
May 2002 |
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