2. Things to remember
Respiratory infection
epidemic parotitis.
Self limiting
Not fatal
Causative organism – mumps virus (RNA virus )
Transmission – droplet infection
3. Mumps typically starts with a few days of fever,
headache, muscle aches, tiredness, loss of
appetite, and is followed by painful swelling of
salivary glands.
3
4. Agent factors
AGENT :- RNA VIRUS of PARAMYXOVIRUS
family
Genus :- Rubula virus
Can be grown readily in chick embryo or tissue
culture
There is only 1 serotype
5. SOURCE OF INFECTION :- Both clinical and
subclinical (30-40% of all cases)
• Virus can be isolated from the saliva and from swabs
taken from the surface of stenson’s duct
• Also found in blood urine human milk and occasionally in
CSF
6. PERIOD OF COMMUNICABILITY
• Usually 4 – 6 days before the onset of symptoms
and a week or more there after
• Period of maximum infectivity :- just before and at
the onset of swelling
• No longer infectious after the swelling is subsided
7. Host factors
Age &sex :- mostly in children of age group 5 – 9 yrs
•More severe in adults than children
• Immunity :- 1 attack , clinical or subclinical is
assumed to induce lifelong immunity
• Most infants below the age of 6 months are
immune because of maternal antibodies
8. Environmental factors
Endemic disease
Case occur throughout the year
Peak incidence is in winter and spring
Epidemics are often associated with overcrowding
9. Mode of transmission
Mainly by droplet infection and after direct contact
with the infected persons .
Incubation period
Varies from 2 – 3 weeks , usually 18 days
10. Clinical features
Pain and swelling in either one or both the parotid
glands
Sublingual and submandibular glands may also involve
Earache often present on the affected side prior to the
onset of swelling
Pain and swelling in the opening of mouth before the
swelling is evident .
May also affect the testes , pancrease , CNS , ovaries ,
prostrate etc..
11. In severe cases there may be fever , headache and
other constitutional symptoms which last for 3 – 5
days .
Swelling subsides slowly over 1 – 2 weeks
