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Mumps in the US
Photo courtesy of DoctorsAustralia Mumps is caused by a virus from the genus Rubulavirus. Symptoms include low-grade fever, respiratory problems, and swelling of the parotid glands, which are glands behind the ear that aid in producing saliva, chewing, swallowing, and speaking. This swelling is known as parotitis and is the most easily recognizable symptom of mumps. However, parotitis only occurs in about 30-40% of cases. Other cases present with non-specific symptoms, and 20% of individuals may be asymptomatic. The virus is spread by respiratory droplets that become airborne when a person coughs, sneezes, and talks.
In 1968, 52,000 cases of mumps were reported in the US. After the introduction of the vaccine, cases begin to decrease, and by 1985, less than 3,000 cases were reported each year. There was an uptick of mumps cases in 1987, so a second shot was added to the vaccine schedule. Cases of mumps have dropped in the United States by 99% since then, but the disease has not been eliminated. Since 2006, several large outbreaks have occurred, and in 2019, mumps cases were reported in almost every state.
Mumps can be a mild disease, but complications due to the disease are not extremely rare. In 30% of cases in unvaccinated males that have passed puberty, orchitis can develop, which is swelling in one or both testicles. This can also include tenderness, nausea, and vomiting. Other possible complications include hearing loss, swelling of the breast, pancreas, or brain. Complications are more common in unvaccinated adults. After the development of vaccines, the rates of complications due to mumps have gone down to 1%.
The live attenuated mumps vaccine used today in the United States was licensed in 1967. It was developed by vaccine researcher Maurice Hillman. He isolated the virus from his daughter, Jeryl Lynn, who was diagnosed with mumps at age 5. The strain of virus used in the vaccine today is referred to as the Jeryl Lynn strain. The mumps vaccine was combined with the measles vaccine in 1971 to create the MMR vaccine.
