Manual for the surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases

Chapter 9 of: Manual for the surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases. 5th Edition, 2012.Mumps is an acute viral illness caused by a paramyxovirus. The classic symptom of mumps is parotitis (i.e., acute onset of unilateral or bilateral tender, self-limited swelling of the parotid or other salivary gland(s)), lasting at least two days, but may persist longer than ten days. The mumps incubation period ranges from 12-25 days, but parotitis typically develops 16 to 18 days after exposure to mumps virus. Nonspecific prodromal symptoms may precede parotitis by several days, including low-grade fever which may last three to four days, myalgia, anorexia, malaise, and headache. However, mumps infection may present only with nonspecific or primarily respiratory symptoms or may be a subclinical infection.chpt09-mumps.pdf2012677