Mumps

Question 1

What is the family?

Answer 1

Paramyxovirus

Question 2

What is the incubation period?

Answer 2

2-3 weeks

Question 3

When do most infections occur without vaccination?

Answer 3

Age 5-15

Question 4

What are the clinical presentations?

Answer 4

• Salivary gland enlargement and pain aggravated by eating (esp. parotid gland, tender cervical lymphadenopathy)
• Fever
• Malaise
  More frequent in adults:
• Aseptic meningitis (relatively common but mild)
• Orchitis (pain and swelling, 10-25% postpubertal cases, usually unilateral, bilateral may lead to subfertility)
• Pancreatitis (10% of adults)

Question 5

What are the specimens used to diagnose?

Answer 5

Saliva, throat washings, urine, CSF

Question 6

What are the diagnosis methods?

Answer 6

• RT-PCR
• Tissue culture using cell lines or hen’s eggs
• CPE - rounding of cells, multinucleated syncytial formation, eosinophilic inclusions
• Serology - IgM, IgG

Question 7

What is the prevention? Who is it given to?

Answer 7

Live attenuated vaccine (MMR) given at 1y/o and also recommended for unimmunised pre-adolescents who have not had mumps parotitis