🦠 Mumps is an acute viral infection primarily affecting the salivary glands, especially the parotids. ⏳ While self-limiting, it can cause serious complications, especially in young people → early recognition & management are key.

📖 About

Definition: Viral infection caused by the mumps virus (Paramyxoviridae family).
🌍 Epidemiology: Affects school-aged children & young adults. Greatly reduced where MMR vaccination is widespread.
😷 Transmission: Highly contagious → spread via respiratory droplets & infected saliva.

⚠️ In a young male with orchitis, always consider testicular torsion in the differential to prevent testicular loss.

🧬 Virology

🦠 Pathogen: RNA paramyxovirus.
💨 Transmission: Aerosol droplets.
⏳ Incubation: 18–21 days.
👶 Most common in unvaccinated children & young adults.

🩺 Clinical Features

🤒 Systemic: fever, headache, malaise, myalgia.
😮 Parotitis: hallmark → painful, swollen parotid glands.
🍒 Orchitis: ~25% of post-pubertal males → scrotal pain, swelling (rare infertility).
❤️ Extraparenchymal: myocarditis, hepatitis (rare).

👁️ Clinical Signs

🧑‍🦱 Parotid swelling/tenderness (often bilateral).
🍒 Orchitis: painful testicular swelling ± fever.
🌸 Rash (occasionally).

⚠️ Complications

😮 Parotitis (75%).
🍒 Orchitis (25% of post-pubertal males).
👩 Oophoritis (5% post-puberty females).
🧠 Meningitis (≈50%, more in males).
🧠 Encephalitis (rare, 1–2% mortality, risk of deafness).
👂 Sensorineural deafness (transient/permanent).
🤰 Spontaneous abortion (1st trimester).

🛡️ Prevention

💉 MMR vaccine (at 13 months) → live attenuated, highly effective.
🧼 Hygiene: handwashing, covering coughs/sneezes.
🚪 Isolation: infected cases should be kept away from others.

🔎 Investigations

🧬 PCR from buccal swab.
🧪 Serology: IgM (acute), rising IgG titres.
🩻 Ultrasound: in orchitis to exclude torsion.

💊 Management

🛌 Supportive: rest, hydration, analgesia.
💊 Antibiotics: only if secondary bacterial infection.
🍒 Orchitis: analgesics ± short course of steroids (e.g. prednisolone) in select cases.
💉 Vaccination: MMR remains the cornerstone of prevention.
👨‍⚕️ Specialist referral: severe cases (encephalitis, orchitis, meningitis).

📌 Conclusion

Mumps is a preventable viral infection mainly affecting children & young adults. Most cases resolve, but complications (orchitis, meningitis, encephalitis, deafness) highlight the importance of vaccination.

📚 References

CDC. Mumps. Link
WHO. Mumps Fact Sheet. Link
NIH. Mumps. Link
Mayo Clinic. Mumps. Link
AAP. Mumps Immunization. Link

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Mumps (Notifiable)