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Microbiology · Respiratory RNA viruses

Mumps virus !

  • Virus
  • Enveloped
  • Droplet
  • Exam priority: medium

The mumps virus. It swells the salivary glands, mostly the parotids, and sometimes the testes, pancreas or meninges.

Updated 2026-11-01

Also called: mumps

At a glance

Shape
Pleomorphic spherical
Genome
Single-stranded, negative-sense, non-segmented RNA
Envelope
Enveloped
Family
Paramyxoviridae, genus Orthorubulavirus
Size
Pleomorphic, about 150 nm or more (up to several hundred nm)

Morphology

  • Envelope with haemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) and fusion protein (F)
  • A single serotype

Transmission

  • Respiratory droplets and direct contact with saliva
  • Contagious from two days before to five days after parotitis begins
  • Outbreaks in schools, universities and barracks

Reservoir: Humans only

Isolation precautions

What the care team adds to standard precautions.

Droplet
Surgical mask within about a metre; single room.

Virulence factors

  • Replicates in the upper airway and lymph nodes, then reaches glands and the nervous system through viraemia
  • Tropism for glandular tissue (parotid, testis, ovary, pancreas) and the meninges

Diseases it causes

  • Mumps parotitis, with orchitis, aseptic meningitis, pancreatitis or deafness Mumps →

Clinical picture

  • Fever, headache and malaise, followed by painful one- or two-sided parotitis
  • Orchitis, mostly after puberty; it rarely causes sterility
  • Aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, pancreatitis, oophoritis
  • Sensorineural deafness, sometimes permanent

Diagnosis

  • RT-PCR on a buccal swab (after parotid massage)
  • Serum IgM, hard to read in vaccinated people
  • Raised serum amylase from parotitis
  • A negative result does not rule it out

Treatment

There is no antiviral: analgesics, compresses and rest. Orchitis is managed with pain relief and scrotal support.

Drug class only; doses and regimens are set by the clinician from the current guideline.

Prevention

  • MMR vaccine in two doses
  • Isolation until five days after parotitis begins
  • Droplet precautions in hospital

Vaccine: Part of the live attenuated MMR vaccine in Colombia's PAI.

Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

Which gland is typically inflamed in mumps?

The parotid gland, on one or both sides.

What is the best-known genital complication of mumps after puberty?

Orchitis, a painful inflammation of the testis.

How long is a mumps patient isolated?

Until five days after parotitis begins, with droplet precautions.

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← Back to the group: Respiratory RNA viruses

Educational content on microorganisms; not a treatment guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.

Sources: Clinical Overview of Mumps (CDC, 2025); Mumps (MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine), 2025); Appendix A: Type and Duration of Precautions Recommended for Selected Infections and Conditions (CDC, 2024).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.