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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Mumps is a viral infection that primarily affects the parotid glands — one of three pairs of salivary glands, located below and in front of your ears. If you or your child contracts mumps, it can cause swelling in one or both parotid glands.
Complications of mumps are potentially serious, but rare — and your odds of contracting mumps aren't very high. Mumps was common until the mumps vaccine was licensed in the 1960s. Since then, the number of cases has dropped dramatically.
Because outbreaks of mumps still occur in the United States and mumps is still common in many parts of the world, getting a vaccination to prevent mumps is important.
- Arumugam V, et al. Mumps. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2010. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/189250272-4/0/2088/427.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05609-0..00022-8--sc0180_8757. Accessed March 17, 2010.
- Gutierrez KM. Mumps virus. In: Long SS, et al., eds. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/189250272-5/0/1679/228.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06687-0..50227-7--cesec14_4159. Accessed March 17, 2010.
- Litman N, et al. Mumps virus. In: Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2005. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00157-0--s0035&uniq=189250272&isbn=978-0-443-06839-3#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00157-0%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-0-443-06839-3. Accessed March 17, 2010.
- Albrecht MA. Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and management of mumps. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 17, 2010.
- Mumps: Questions and answers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4211.pdf. Accessed March 17, 2010.
- Albrecht MA. Mumps virus vaccine. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 17, 2010.
- Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Vaccines/MMR/MMR.html. Accessed March 17, 2010.
- Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 1, 2010.
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