What you need to know about mumps

With recent reports of mumps outbreaks both locally and across the country, Dr. Kenneth Polin, a primary care physician at Lurie Children's Primary Care - Town & Country Pediatrics, explains what everyone should know about this viral illness.

"Today, mumps is a relatively rare, viral infection because we have been very effective immunizing individuals. There are two factors that are probably contributing to this outbreak," says Polin. "First, there are patients who don't immunize, which puts their kids at risk of both getting the disease and spreading the disease. Second, even with the best immunizations, not all immunizations are effective."

Mumps is highly infectious and is usually spread through droplets which means it can be spread when someone coughs, spits, sneezes or talks to you. Individuals can be infected when they inhale some of these droplets.

Mumps is in the same viral family as influenza A. Its incubation period is around 16-18 days, but can be as little as 12 to as many as 25 days in some individuals.

Symptoms include fever, swelling of one or both salivary glands that sit over the angle of the jaw.

Mumps is diagnosed when a clinician cannot feel the angle of the jaw - meaning the salivary gland is swollen and everything under the gland cannot be felt. There are blood tests that can confirm the diagnosis and this is a reportable illness.

For most people, mumps is usually a mild illness. Since it is a virus, it cannot be treated with antibiotics or other medicines.

Prevention is important to avoid outbreaks and vaccination is key.

If someone does come down with mumps, they should stay out of an environment (i.e. school, day care or summer camp) where they may spread it for at least nine days after the start of swelling salivary glands.

• Children's health is a continuing series. This week's article is courtesy of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. For more information, visit luriechildrens.org.