What is mumps?
Mumps is an infectious disease caused by the mumps virus and is also known as goat's peter. The virus is found exclusively in humans. Characteristic of mumps is the swelling and inflammation of the parotid glands. The virus is spread all over the world, can occur at any age and is present all year round. Thanks to protective vaccinations against mumps, the incidence of the disease in Germany has declined enormously.
How is mumps transmitted?
The virus is transmitted from person to person via droplet infection. This means that when a person talks, coughs or sneezes, tiny droplets spread through the air and are inhaled by a healthy person. Mumps can also be contracted through direct contact, for example when kissing. Transmission through smear infection, such as shared glasses or dishes, is somewhat less common.
When does mumps break out and how long are people considered contagious?
The incubation period is usually about 16 to 18 days. However, a period of 12 to 25 days is also possible. You are considered contagious as early as one week before and about nine days after the onset of parotid swelling. The risk is highest after about two to four days after the onset of the disease. It does not matter if there are no symptoms or only mild symptoms.
What are the symptoms of mumps?
Not all infected people show symptoms. In about 4 out of ten people, the infection with mumps runs its course completely without symptoms. Children in particular, at an age of less than 5 years, only show symptoms of a normal cold, if any at all. In some other cases, considerably more symptoms appear:
- Loss of appetite,
- Swelling of the parotid glands,
- Swelling in the cheek area,
- Swelling in the throat area.
However, these symptoms usually disappear after three to eight days.
The swelling of the glands often causes pain and many sufferers also experience ear pain due to the pressure on the ear canal. Opening the mouth and even chewing can cause pain. In particularly severe and painful cases, it is advisable for the patient to eat only liquid or very soft foods such as porridge, soups or purees. In many sufferers, the neighbouring lymph nodes also swell.
How is mumps diagnosed?
Normally, a doctor recognises mumps immediately because of the symptoms. Especially the characteristic swelling of the parotid gland usually leaves no doubt that it is an infection with the mumps virus. However, since the disease mumps has become much rarer, at least in Germany, a laboratory examination is often ordered for absolute certainty. The examination is particularly essential if the person affected has been vaccinated against mumps. A blood test can detect special antibodies against the virus. If there is an acute infection with mumps, specific IgM antibodies are usually found. They are detectable the first few days after the onset of the disease and the level can even be elevated a few weeks after the disease.
However, if a person has been vaccinated, the test for IgM may give a false-positive result. In these cases, additional detection of the virus is used. For this purpose, a throat swab or the urine is examined for the genetic material of the virus.
How is mumps treated?
Currently, there is no antiviral treatment for mumps. The disease is usually treated symptomatically with painkilling and fever-reducing medication. If the patient has a fever, he or she should drink enough fluids and adhere to bed rest. In some cases, mumps can lead to complications such as testicular inflammation. In this case, bed rest and elevation and cooling of the testicle also apply. In very severe cases, a doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication. If pancreatitis develops as a result of the mumps infection, the person affected must be treated in hospital. In some cases, artificial feeding is necessary, at least temporarily. Treatment in hospital is also necessary in the rare case of cerebral meningitis.
What is the prognosis for mumps?
As a rule, the prognosis for mumps is good. For the most part, the infection is mild and harmless, especially in children. However, complications and late effects increase with age. For example, mumps-related inflammation of the testicles can reduce fertility. Only in rare cases will boys or men be completely infertile afterwards. About 4 % of those affected experience deafness in the range of high tones. This is usually temporary, but in one in 20,000 people infected with mumps, the deafness will remain for life. Brain inflammation caused by mumps is rarely fatal. Mumps encephalitis kills about 1.5% of those affected.
How can you protect yourself from mumps?
The best protection against mumps is and remains vaccination. It is recommended in childhood and should be carried out with a total of three vaccination doses. If you forget or miss a vaccination, it is essential to have it as soon as possible before your 18th birthday. The vaccination is not only intended to protect oneself against mumps, but also to prevent others from contracting mumps.
Is there an obligation to report mumps?
Mumps has been notifiable in Germany since 2013. In the case of suspected illness, proven illness or deaths in connection with mumps, doctors must issue a notification to the public health department, stating the name of the person affected. If the affected person attends or works in a community institution such as a kindergarten or schools, the management of such must be informed by themselves or, in the case of children, by the parents. The management of the facility must then forward a corresponding notification to the health authority. When the patient is allowed to visit or work in such an institution again will ultimately be decided by the health authority.