Mumps are back and cases have grown by 4 times between 2018 and 2019, according to a recent study by health officials in England, marking the highest increase in a decade.
There have been similar increases in Wales and Scotland, too. Outbreaks at universities and colleges have contributed to a rise in the number of cases in 2019.
Mumps is a viral infection that commonly affects school children before the introduction of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine in the UK in 1998.
Mumps is a contagious condition, and a person is contagious a few days before symptoms appear and is still contagious a few days after symptoms appear, too.
This condition spreads when someone breathes in infected droplets of saliva from another person’s cough. If you are infected and cough, you increase the chances of someone else getting it too.
So a school, college, or university is a perfect breeding ground for the virus because there are lots of potential carriers.
So if an infected person touched their nose or mouth and touched an object such as a door handle or a work surface shortly afterwards, the virus could be transferred to a new host. Or if you are sharing cups or cutlery with an infected person, you could potentially get it too.
People who are infected with mumps can also pass the virus on, even if they show no apparent symptoms.
Mumps usually develops between 14 and 25 days from initial infection, according to medical professionals. Swelling occurs just below the ears in the Parotid glands, which produce saliva.
Common symptoms include;
In one-third of cases, there are no symptoms, however.
Mumps are usually not severe, but this condition does have similar symptoms to more serious conditions, such as ‘Glandular Fever and Tonsillitis’, so consulting a GP is a wise move.
If you think you may have mumps, let your GP know so they can prepare for your visit and ensure the virus is contained to prevent further spreading.
A GP visit will either confirm you have it or rule it out.
There is no current vaccine for Mumps, so you have to rely on your body’s immune system to fight off the infection. Symptoms usually pass within a couple of weeks. The NHS advise that you get;
If you have Mumps, you should prevent the infection from spreading, especially to younger members of the family born between 1980 and 1990, as they are unlikely to have immunity from previous infections during that decade and are unlikely to have been vaccinated either.
Several complications can occur if you have Mumps, although worrying, they are very rarely serious and disappear as you start to recover from the virus.
Currently, no vaccine exists for Mumps, and once a person contracts Mumps, the NHS suggests that they are likely immune to it afterwards.
Children born between 1980 and 1990 face a higher risk because they likely weren’t vaccinated, and if they didn’t have the condition as youngsters, their vulnerability increases.
1998 saw the introduction of the MMR vaccine as part of the children’s vaccination schedule; they usually have the first dose around 12 months, with the second dose before they start school.
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