Mumps is mostly common in children though it can affect adults who were not immunised, doctors say. Experts advise on proper hygiene in order to avoid the easy spread of the illness from one person to another. Signs and symptoms are so mild that no one suspects a mumps infection until it is serious. Doctors believe that about one in three people may have a mumps without symptoms.

"Mumps is a contagious disease caused by a virus known as paramyxovirus that passes from one person to another through saliva, nasal secretions and close personal contact, the condition primarily affects the saliva glands (parotid),” says Dr Raymond Awazi, a paediatrician in Kigali.

"If one is not immune, they can contract mumps just by taking in saliva droplets of an infected person who sneezed or coughed,” says Dr Ian Shyaka, a general practitioner at Rwanda Military Hospital, Kanombe.

Shyaka adds that one can also contract mumps from sharing utensils or cups with someone who has mumps; it causes swelling of the glands in front of the ears and above the jaw.

Mumps used to be much more common than it is now since most children now get a vaccine that helps to prevent the infection, Shyaka says.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Awazi says that symptoms usually appear within two weeks of exposure to the virus, flu-like symptoms may be the first to appear including fatigue, body ache, and headache, loss of appetite, low grade fever, high fever, and swelling of the salivary glands. The glands become painful.

Shyaka says that some people with mumps have no symptoms initially, but in most people, the early symptoms include fatigue and ache.

He explains that to help ease one’s symptoms, wet a clean cloth with warm water and put it on the swollen area, when the cloth cools, reheat it with warm water and put it back on, repeat these steps for 10 to 15 minutes every few hours.

PREVENTION/TREATMENT

"There is no specific treatment for mumps and most medications given are to alleviate the symptoms, hence immunisation, remains the cornerstone of overcoming mumps,” Shyaka notes.

Awazi advises to vaccinate with MMR vaccine which prevents measles, mumps, and rubella; the first dose must be given from 12 to 15 months, the second dose should be given between two and six years.

Awazi adds that with doses, the mumps vaccine is approximately 88 per cent effective and the rate of effectiveness of only one dose is about 78 per cent.

However, Shyaka recommends that children get the MMR vaccine as part of their routine childhood vaccines.

He also says that taking some over-the-counter pain medicines such as paracetamol and ibuprofen will help ease the pain and fever.

Adults above the age of 18 can also take aspirin for pain and fever, but it is not advisable to give aspirin for fever to a child or teenager younger than 18 if they suffer from mumps, because it can cause dangerous conditions like Reye syndrome (a condition that causes swelling in the liver and brain).

Shyaka further says that if you suspect that you or your child have mumps, see a doctor and make sure to let the doctor’s office know before you go in, so that you won’t have to wait too long in the waiting room or queue, possibly infecting others.

According to Kid’s Health, if one sneezes or coughs and saliva drops on the surface, be sure to clean that area and, it is important to clean your hands before you eat, or put fingers near your mouth. Used tissues can also spread viruses, so leaving them lying around is not a good idea. Flushing them down the toilet is a good way to get rid of germy tissues, however, kids who have mumps should also be separated from those who are not infected or immunised; this will reduce on the rapid spread of mumps in children.

OUTCOME

"Mumps has become an uncommon illness, so it’s possible that signs and symptoms are caused by another condition, swollen salivary glands and a fever could be an indication of inflamed tonsils (tonsillitis) or a blocked salivary gland,” Shyaka says.

He adds that other viruses can affect the parotid glands, causing a mumps-like illness.

People with mumps usually get better in about two weeks, in rare cases; mumps can cause other problems including swelling of one or both testicles in boys and men, inflammation of the ovaries in girls and women, infections in and around the brain and hearing loss.

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