Mumps is a contagious disease caused by a virus. It typically starts with a few days of fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite, followed by swollen salivary glands.
Mumps is a contagious disease caused by a virus. It typically starts with a few days of fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite, followed by swollen salivary glands.
According to the World Health Organization, in 2016 there were a total of 583,199 reported cases of mumps worldwide. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of reported cases in the United States, from 229 cases in 2012 to 5,629 cases in 2017.
Mumps causes puffy cheeks and swollen jaws, which is a result of swollen salivary glands. Some people who get mumps have very mild symptoms or no signs at all, and often they are unaware they have the disease. Most people with mumps recover completely in a few weeks.
Fever
Headache
Generalized
muscle aches
Tiredness
Loss of appetite
Swollen and tender salivary glands under the ears on one or both sides (parotitis)
Symptoms typically appear 16-18 days after infection, but this period can range from 12-25 days after infection.
In most people, mumps is mild. But it can cause serious, long-lasting problems including
It spreads through saliva or mucus from the mouth, nose, or throat. An infected person can spread the virus by: