Vaccine Hesitancy Is Nothing New But It Can Be Overcome
What Are Mumps Symptoms?
Painful, swollen glands just below the ear are telltale sign of the mumps. Doctors call this "parotitis," and it can happen on one or both sides of the face. But fewer than half of the folks who get mumps ever have this symptom.
Other people who have the virus show no symptoms or develop very minor ones. They usually start 2 to 3 weeks after you get infected and might include:
Infected people can spread it to others by:
In most cases, people who have mumps recover fully after a few weeks.
Mumps In Adults
Mumps is a viral infection that often causes swelling in your salivary glands. It usually isn't serious, but it's easily spread through saliva and mucus. It can be spread just through talking, sharing utensils, and coughing, for instance.
It's rare now, since a mumps vaccine became part of the recommended series of childhood immunizations decades ago. But outbreaks still happen, and have been on the rise. Health departments have reported several thousand cases since 2015.
We most often think about mumps among children -- and for good reason, since they're usually the ones who get it.
But adults can and do get the virus.
Symptoms can be so mild you might not know you're infected. Or you may feel like you're getting the flu. The most obvious sign of mumps is swollen saliva glands, but this symptom shows up in less than half of cases. Here's what else to watch for:
If you do show symptoms, they may not appear for 2 to 3 weeks after you're infected.
If you think you or someone else has mumps, call your doctor for an appointment. And remember, it's contagious. Avoid close contact with other people until at least 5 days after symptoms appear. But you may be able to spread the virus as much as seven days before and 9 days after your glands first begin to swell.
You catch the virus that causes mumps by coming in contact with the saliva of someone who's infected. It's as easy as breathing. Droplets can be released into the air when people cough, sneeze or talk.
Being in a crowded environment with someone who has the virus can lead to an outbreak, so consider these kinds of environments where adults share space:
You can also spread mumps in other ways, like:
Your doctor can diagnose mumps by listening to your symptoms and testing for the virus. The test might be done with a swab of your cheek or throat, or you might have a blood or urine test. In cases where the infection may have spread to the brain or spinal cord, you may need a spinal tap to test the cerebrospinal fluid.
Because mumps is caused by a virus, there's no medicine that can cure it. Most people recover fully after a few weeks. To ease symptoms while you wait, try these simple home remedies:
Stay hydrated.
Rarely, adults who have mumps might experience some hearing loss and decreased fertility. They sometimes have other symptoms that can include swelling of certain body parts, such as:
Mumps can cause a miscarriage if a woman gets it early in her pregnancy. In rare cases, it can lead to heart problems.
The combined measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR) protects you from getting mumps. Young children should get two doses of the vaccine before they reach school age. The second shot wasn't recommended until around 1990, though, so some adults might not have received it.
In an outbreak, just one dose might not be enough to keep you safe, so if you only received a single dose, talk to your doctor about getting another. Here are some other situations in which you might need the vaccine:
You're a woman of childbearing age who is not pregnant.
You're in college.
You work in a hospital or school.
You want to travel overseas or go on a cruise.
Talk to your doctor if you think you might be at risk.
Charlottesville-area Teen Confirmed With Second Case Of Measles In Virginia
(© Dr_Microbe – stock.Adobe.Com) A Charlottesville-area teenager who recently travelled internationally has officially been confirmed as the second measles case of the year in Virginia, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
The first case was reported in April in a child (ages 0 to 4) in the same Northwest region. The child had also travelled internationally, according to VDH.
The patient, a teenager between the ages of 13 and 17, recently travelled internationally.
Health officials are coordinating efforts to identify anyone who might have been exposed.
Measles is a highly contagious illness that can spread easily through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. Measles symptoms usually appear in two stages. In the first stage, most people have a fever of greater than 101 degrees, runny nose, watery red eyes and a cough. These symptoms usually start seven to 14 days after being exposed. The second stage starts three to five days after symptoms start, when a rash begins to appear on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.
People with measles are contagious from four days before the rash appears through four days after the rash appeared.
Measles is preventable through a safe and effective MMR vaccine. Two doses of the vaccine are given to provide lifetime protection.
Virginia has high measles vaccination rates, with approximately 95 percent of kindergarteners fully vaccinated against measles.
Potential exposure sitesPotential exposure sites in Virginia include:
For more information about measles visit www.Vdh.Virginia.Gov/measles/
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