Mumps is a
disease caused by a virus that usually spreads through saliva
and can infect many parts of the body, especially the parotid
salivary glands. The parotid salivary glands, which produce
saliva for the mouth, are found toward the back of each cheek,
in the area between the ear and jaw. In cases of mumps, these
glands typically swell and become painful.
disease has been recognized for several centuries, and medical
historians argue over whether the name "mumps" comes from an
old word for "lump" or an old word for "mumble."
common until the mumps vaccine was licensed in 1967. Before
the vaccine, more than 200,000 cases occurred each year in the
United States. Since then the number of cases has dropped to
fewer than 1,000 a year, and epidemics have become fairly
rare. As in the prevaccine era, most cases of mumps are still
in children ages 5 to 14, but the proportion of young adults
who become infected has been rising slowly over the last two
decades. Mumps infections are uncommon in children younger
than 1 year old.
case of mumps it is very unusual to have a second bout because
one attack of mumps almost always gives lifelong protection
against another. However, other infections can also cause
swelling in the salivary glands, which might lead a parent to
mistakenly think a child has had mumps more than once.