Mumps

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• Mumps Overview
• Mumps Causes
• Mumps Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Treatment
• Self-Care at Home
• Medical Treatment
• Next Steps
• Prevention
• Outlook
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors
• Related mumps articles:
  Mumps - on WebMD
  Mumps - on MedicineNet

Mumps Overview

Mumps is a disease, usually of children, caused by a virus. With mumps, your salivary glands swell. Specifically, these are the parotid glands, and they are located below and in front of each ear.

The virus is spread by direct contact with an infected person's sneeze or cough. Humans are the only known natural hosts. The disease is more severe if you get it as an adult.

With nearly universal immunization in childhood, there are fewer than 1,000 cases of mumps per year. Most of the reported cases are in children aged 5-14 years. The infection is more common during late winter and spring.