see also:

• viruses

• once a very common paediatric viral infection primarily causing swollen bilateral parotid salivary glands, although some developed epididymo-orchitis, meningitis or pancreatitis
• now very uncommon in countries with high levels of vaccination
• caused by Rubulavirus which is within the genus Paramyxovirus and is a member of the family Paramyxoviridae

• fever for up to 7 days
• headache
• malaise
• bilateral, grossly swollen, tender parotid glands (parotitis and parotid swellings) for > 1 week usually
• +/- thyroiditis ~1 week after parotitis
• rarely, pancreatitis lasting up to 1 week
• epididymo-orchitis in 50% of post-pubertal boys, bilateral in 30%
• oophoritis in post-pubertal girls
• may cause aseptic meningitis / encephalitis

• essentially clinical
• mumps PCR can be useful on CSF
• may be confirmed by rising titres of serial mumps-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody titers

• MMR vaccination in infancy at 12-15 months age