Mumps 30

-Mumps is an acute contagious disease of children characterized by nonsupurativeenlargement of one both parotid glands (parotitis).

-Mumps virus mostly causes a mild childhood disease, but in adults it may be complicated with meningitis and orchitis.

-At least 1/3 of infections are asymptomatic.

Pathogenesis and clinical findings

- Man is the only host for mumps virus.

-Transmission is by droplets.

-The virus replicates locally in the resp mucosa and regional lymph nodes, followed by viraemia and localization of the virus in salivary glands especially the parotid glands. The virusmay also disseminate into testes, ovaries, pancreas and brain.

-After an incubation period of 2-3 weeks, the disease manifests as fever and painful swelling of the parotid glands.

Prevention and control

1.Living attenuated vaccine for children over 1 year. It is given in a single IM dose.
2. Mumps vaccine is available in combination with other 2 living attenuated virus vaccines, measles and rubella (MMR vaccine).

Immunity is life-lasting immunity after a single infection. This is because:
-Only one stable antigenic type exists.
- There is a stage of viraemia, so circulating virus neutralizing antibodies (IgM and IgG) are protective.