Mumps

Mumps is a contagious viral illness and at one time was a very common childhood disease. With the implementation of widespread vaccination, the incidence of mumps in the population has decreased substantially. Mumps infection typically presents with a prodrome of headache, fever, fatigue, anorexia, malaise followed by the classic hallmark of the disease, parotitis. The disease is more often self-limited with individuals experiencing a full recovery. Mumps is caused by the Rubulavirus and a member of the paramyxoviridae family. Mumps affects people globally and is the only known cause of epidemic parotitis. The majority of mumps cases are seen in late winter and early spring.