Mumps is an acute, systemic, highly infectious, communicable infection of children and young adults, caused by a paramyxovirus (with an RNA genome). Transmission is by airborn droplet spread. After an incubation period of 14 to 18 days, typical presentation is with fever, pain near the angle of the jaw, and swelling of the parotid glands. Complications include orchitis, meningitis and encephalitis. Diagnosis is obvious clinically in cases with a contact history and parotitis, but serological (mumps-specific IgM and IgA) and RNA-based (RT-PCR) tests are used when this is not the case,...

Mumps is an acute, systemic, highly infectious, communicable infection of children and young adults, caused by a paramyxovirus (with an RNA genome). Transmission is by airborn droplet spread. After an incubation period of 14 to 18 days, typical presentation is with fever, pain near the angle of the jaw, and swelling of the parotid glands. Complications include orchitis, meningitis and encephalitis. Diagnosis is obvious clinically in cases with a contact history and parotitis, but serological (mumps-specific IgM and IgA) and RNA-based (RT-PCR) tests are used when this is not the case, e.g. the patient presenting with meningitis. Treatment is symptomatic. Prevention is by vaccination, often given as one component of a trivalent mumps/measles/rubella (MMR) vaccine at 14 to 16 months of age....