Mumps is an acute viral infection that is spread by coughing, sneezing, saliva or discharges from the nose and throat.
While the illness is mild, it can occasionally have some profound side effects. Complications can include male sterility, meningitis and deafness. Mastitis, pancreatitis and encephalitis are other rare complications.
The infection usually occurs in school-aged children, teenagers or young adults and is more common in winter and spring.
Symptoms of mumps include fever, headache and swollen and tender salivary glands. This gives the appearance of swollen cheeks or jaws.
The symptoms begin to appear 14 to 25 days after exposure but about one fifth of infected individuals won't have any symptoms.
Mumps is contagious seven days before and nine days after the onset of symptoms. The symptoms tend to decrease after a week and have usually resolved after 10 days.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre advises people with mumps to stay away from work, school, college or child-care during their infectious period.
Contracting mumps during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy may bring an increased risk of spontaneous abortion. Pregnant women should not receive the MMR vaccine while women who are not pregnant and who receive the vaccine should avoid pregnancy for two months afterwards.
For further information, see the Health Protection Surveillance Centre website www.ndsc.ie
Alison Healy
