Mumps

Mumps, commonly known as mumps, is a common respiratory infectious disease among children and adolescents. Many people have had it when they were young. This disease is contagious, so if a child gets it, try to avoid contact with crowds, and be extra careful with family members. Separate bowls and chopsticks should be prepared when eating, and the utensils used should be disinfected after use to avoid infection.

Mumps is not seasonal, but it is more likely to be infected in winter and spring. When you get the disease, the area below the earlobe is usually swollen and it will be very painful if you accidentally touch it. It looks obvious, and it is especially easy for children, so they will feel very uncomfortable. Parents should take good care of their children, especially in terms of diet. Because of the swelling and pain, it is troublesome to eat, so try to eat soft and rotten food.

1 Causes

Mumps virus belongs to the family Paramyxoviridae. The virus is spherical with a diameter of 100 to 200 microns. The spore membrane contains neuraminidase, hemagglutinin and F protein with cell fusion function. The virus has only one serotype and has a mild cross-reaction with the parainfluenza virus because it shares common antigens with the parainfluenza virus. The virus can be isolated from the saliva, cerebrospinal fluid, blood, urine, brain tissue and other tissues of the children.

2 Clinical manifestations

The incubation period ranges from 8 to 30 days, with an average of 18 days. The onset is usually acute, with no prodromal symptoms. Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, myalgia, sore throat, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, general discomfort, etc. The parotid glands become swollen and painful over several hours and gradually become more obvious. The body temperature may reach above 39°C.

Parotid swelling and pain is the most characteristic. It is usually centered on the earlobe, spreading forward, backward, and downward in a pear-shaped shape with unclear edges; the local skin is tense, shiny but not red, tough and elastic to the touch, and painful to the touch. Opening the mouth and chewing (especially acidic food) stimulates saliva secretion, causing the pain to worsen; usually swelling of one side will affect the opposite side 1 to 4 days later, and bilateral swelling accounts for about 75% of cases. The submandibular or sublingual glands may also be involved simultaneously. In 10% to 15% of children, only the submandibular gland is affected, and infection of the sublingual gland is the least common. In severe cases, the tissues around the parotid glands are severely edematous, causing facial distortion and difficulty in swallowing. There may be redness and swelling at the opening of the parotid duct in the early stage, and no purulent secretions will overflow from the opening when the parotid gland is squeezed. The pharynx and soft palate may be swollen, and the tonsils may move toward the midline. Parotid gland swelling usually reaches its peak in 3 to 5 days and gradually subsides and returns to normal in 7 to 10 days. When the parotid gland is swollen, the body temperature usually rises to moderate fever, which returns to normal in about 5 days. The course of the disease is 10 to 14 days.

3 Differential diagnosis

1. Suppurative parotitis

The parotid gland on one side is often locally red and swollen, with obvious tenderness. In the late stage, there is a sense of fluctuation. When squeezed, pus flows out of the parotid gland opening, which is located on the buccal mucosa opposite the second molar. The total white blood cell count and neutrophil granulocytes were significantly increased.

2. Neck and preauricular lymphadenitis

The swelling is not centered on the earlobe, but is limited to the neck or preauricular area. It is nuclear-shaped, hard, with clear edges, obvious tenderness, and superficial and movable. Inflammation of tissues associated with the lymph nodes in the neck or preauricular area may be found, such as pharyngitis, ear boils, etc. The total white blood cell count and neutrophil count increased.

3. Symptomatic parotid gland enlargement

In diabetes, malnutrition, and chronic liver disease, the use of certain drugs such as iodinated hydroxyphenylbutazone and isoproterenol can cause parotid gland enlargement, which is symmetrical and painless, soft to the touch, and histological examination mainly shows fatty degeneration.

4. Prevention

1. Manage the source of infection

Isolate the patient early until the parotid swelling subsides completely. Contacts are generally quarantined for 3 weeks.

2. Passive Immunity

Giving high-priced mumps immunoglobulin can have a certain effect, but it is difficult to obtain and promote.

3. Autoimmunity

Routine administration of live attenuated mumps vaccine or measles, mumps and rubella vaccine within 14 months of birth is effective. The immunization route is subcutaneous injection, and nasal spray or aerosol inhalation can also be used. Transient fever may occur after vaccination, and occasionally mumps may occur 1 week after vaccination.

Everyone has a certain understanding of mumps. If a child gets the disease, don't panic and seek medical attention in time. It is best not to go to school or stay with other children during the illness, because direct contact, droplets and saliva are all ways of transmission of mumps.