Mumps

Mumps is a contagious viral disease that affects the salivary glands, causing painful swelling and other symptoms: 

1. Symptoms

   Mumps starts with mild symptoms like headache, fever, and fatigue, and then leads to severe swelling of the salivary glands, causing puffy cheeks and a tender jaw. Other symptoms include muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite. 

2. Transmission

   Mumps is spread through infected saliva, nasal secretions, or respiratory droplets, and close contact with an infected person. It's likely contagious before swelling occurs and up to 5 days after the swelling begins. 

3. Treatment

   There's no cure for mumps, but treatment can relieve symptoms and includes:

   • Pain medicines like ibuprofen and paracetamol 

   • Plenty of fluids 

   • Bed rest 

   • Reducing contact with other people 

   • Applying a warm or cool compress to the swollen glands 

4. Complications

   Mumps is usually mild, but in rare cases it can be deadly and cause more severe complications. These include inflammation of the brain, testicles, ovaries, pancreas, and tissue covering the brain and spinal cord. 

5. Prevention

   The best way to protect yourself from mumps is to get the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Mumps epidemics have been ongoing, mainly affecting children vaccinated in the government centres. They are at risk for the complications. Mumps is not included in the vaccination schedule of the government. Government scheme only provides MR(Measles Rubella) and not MMR vaccine. The reasons are not known.