Mumps has declined due to childhood vaccinations, but unvaccinated children can still contract the viral infection, which affects the salivary glands and is highly contagious. Symptoms include swelling, headache, fever, and loss of appetite. Severe cases can lead to infertility, deafness, and miscarriage. Vaccination is recommended before school age.
To say that no one has mumps anymore would be false. Mumps has declined due to vaccinations that are given in childhood to prevent it. However, many parents do not allow their children to be vaccinated and these children often contract the disease.
Mumps is a viral infection that affects the salivary glands, which are located just below the ears. The purpose of the salivary glands is to produce saliva. This saliva is used in the breakdown of food, making it easier to digest.
Mumps is a very contagious infection. The droplets travel through the air when infected people sneeze or cough, and the virus is then passed on to uninfected people. When a person becomes infected, symptoms usually appear two to three weeks after infection.
One of the first symptoms is usually a noticeable swelling of the salivary glands. This swelling lasts for about a week to 10 days. Other symptoms include headache, fever, loss of appetite, and pain when eating and swallowing food. However, symptoms can vary. Some people experience very mild symptoms, while others may experience no symptoms at all. Mumps is extremely contagious and can be transmitted a week before symptoms appear in the carrier. It can also be transmitted at least 10 days after the swelling occurs. This means that if you have been infected, you can be contagious for almost four weeks.
Mumps is not a serious disease, but severe cases can have consequences in later life. In adolescent males, severe cases affecting the testicles are thought to contribute to infertility. One in 15,000 cases can lead to deafness. Pregnant women who become infected have a higher risk of miscarriage.
Vaccination for this disease is called the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination. The first dose is usually given around 15 months. The second is given at the age of four. Children should be given both doses before they reach school age. There is no strict requirement for the age at which they can be vaccinated, but the doses must be given at least three months apart.
There have been cases where children have been vaccinated but continue to get the infection. If this happens, the children should not be allowed to attend school. Infection in adults is rare, but does occur. This is mostly because the vaccination doesn’t work or wasn’t given in the first place.
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