Mumps

**Definition:** A disease caused by an infection with mumps virus. This disease commonly presents with fever, headache, fatigue, or eventually parotitis. Transmission is by contact with respiratory secretions, directly or indirectly.

**Long definition:** Mumps is a contagious disease that is caused by the mumps virus. Mumps typically starts with a few days of fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite, and is followed by painful swelling of the parotid glands. Mumps virus is transmitted by direct contact, droplet spread and contaminated fomites. Infected individuals are contagious 1-2 days before the onset of clinical symptoms and can incubate the virus for 15-24 days.