When to Escalate
What the Infection Means
Mumps is an acute infection caused by the mumps virus, an enveloped, negative sense, single stranded RNA virus in the Paramyxoviridae family.
Mumps is an acute infection caused by the mumps virus, an enveloped, negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus in the Paramyxoviridae family. It spreads mainly through respiratory droplets and direct contact with respiratory secretions at mucosal surfaces; transmission by contaminated objects is possible but uncommon. The virus produces inflammation in the parotid glands, which sit in front of and below the ears. This inflammation causes tender swelling that can obscure the angle of the jaw and make chewing, swallowing, or opening the mouth painful. Parotitis means inflammation and swelling of a parotid gland; it describes a clinical finding, not a cause. Mumps is one cause of parotitis, so every patient with facial swelling does not automatically have mumps. A febrile prodrome of malaise, headache, myalgia, anorexia, or low-grade fever may come before the gland swelling. Parotitis may affect one or both sides. The infection can also involve tissues outside the salivary glands, which is why a patient whose facial swelling appears uncomplicated still requires screening for neurologic, abdominal, gonadal, and hydration-related complications. For an RPN, the practical meaning is twofold: treat the...