Mumps
Mumps is best known for the puffy cheeks and tender, swollen jaw that it causes. It is one of the diseases that is vaccine preventable. This is a result of swollen salivary glands under the ears on one or both sides, often referred to as parotitis.
Figure M.10 – This photo of a young child with mumps shows the characteristic jaw swelling.32
Other symptoms that might begin a few days before parotitis include:
Fever
Headache
Muscle aches
Tiredness
Loss of appetite Symptoms typically appear 16-18 days after infection, but this period can range from 12–25 days after infection. Some people who get mumps have very mild symptoms (like a cold), or no symptoms at all and may not know they have the disease. In rare cases, mumps can cause more severe complications.
Most people with mumps recover completely within two weeks.Mumps is a contagious disease caused by a virus. It spreads through direct contact with saliva or respiratory droplets from the mouth, nose, or throat. An infected person can likely spread mumps from a few days before their salivary glands begin to swell to up to five days after the swelling begins. A person with mumps should limit their contact with others during this time. For example, stay home from school and do not attend social events.
