Mumps

B26.0-3/B26.8-9

• Description
• General measures
• Medicine treatment
• Referral

DESCRIPTION

Incubation period: 14–21 days.
A viral infection primarily involving the salivary glands.
Signs and symptoms:

• Fever.
• Pain on opening the mouth or eating.
• About two days later a tender swelling appears below the ears at the angle of the jaw, often first on one side and later on the other. The swelling disappears in about 10 days.

GENERAL MEASURES

• Bed rest during febrile period.
• Advise on oral hygiene.
• Recommend plenty of fluids and soft food during acute stage.
• Patient is infectious from 3 days before parotid swelling to 7 days after it started. Isolate until swelling subsides.
• Children may return to school 1 week after initial swelling.

MEDICINE TREATMENT

Children

• Paracetamol, oral, 10–15 mg/kg/dose 6 hourly when required. See paediatric dosing tool.

Adults

• Paracetamol, oral, 1 g 4–6 hourly when required.
  • Maximum dose: 15 mg/kg/dose.
  • Maximum dose: 4 g in 24 hours.

REFERRAL

• Abdominal pain (to exclude pancreatitis).
• Painful swollen testes (orchitis).
• Suspected meningo-encephalitis.