Mumps

Diseases & Conditions

Injuries

Nutrition

Poisons

Special Topics

Surgeries

Symptoms

Tests

Health Information Library

Find

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison	Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z


Head and neck glands

Overview	Symptoms	Treatment	Prevention

Mumps

Definition

Mumps is anacute, contagious, viral disease that causes painful enlargement of the salivary or parotid glands.

Alternative Names

Epidemic parotitis

Causes

The mumps are caused by a virus which is spread from person-to-person by respiratory droplets or direct contact with articles that have been contaminated with infected saliva.

The parotid glands (the salivary glands between the ear and the jaw) are often swollen. Unvaccinated children between the ages of 2 and 12 are most commonly infected, but the infection can occur in other age groups.

Other organs may be involved, including the testes, the central nervous system, and the pancreas. The incubation period is usually 12 to 24 days.

Review Date: 7/20/2004
Reviewed By: Anuradha Banerjee, M.D., Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

_{The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.}

Home | Site Map | Detailed Search | Contact Us | Privacy & Patient Rights