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There were conscionable 36 reports of mumps past twelvemonth compared to 3,700 successful 2020, truthful medics accidental a roar could beryllium recorded this winter
- Isabel Shaw, Health reporter
- Published: 21:00, 24 Nov 2024
A MUMPS epidemic is expected to deed Britain soon, experts person warned — with teenagers and young adults astir astatine risk.
The disease, which tin permission patients infertile and adjacent beryllium fatal, is prevented by the MMR vaccine but uptake is astatine a 15-year-low.
It has led to a surge successful measles cases this year.
There were conscionable 36 reports of mumps past twelvemonth compared to 3,700 successful 2020, truthful medics accidental a roar could beryllium recorded this winter.
Mumps is typically mild successful children but tin pb to superior complications successful older people.
Symptoms include swollen salivary glands, headaches, a fever and associated pain.
André Charlett, of the UK Health Security Agency, said: “Cases are truthful debased astatine the infinitesimal that they are bound to bounce back.
“It’s apt we’ll spot a abrupt surge successful cases, akin to the measles outbreak.
“It could beryllium atrocious for unvaccinated young adults.”
About 1 successful 10 men whose testicles are affected spot a autumn successful sperm count.
Women’s ovaries whitethorn swell.
Prof Paul Hunter, astatine the University of East Anglia, said: “Another uncommon complication is simply a encephalon infection.”
Dr Susan Hahné, of diary Epidemiology & Infection, added: “It’s conscionable a substance of clip earlier the UK sees a emergence successful cases.”
Symptoms of mumps
Mumps is simply a contagious viral corruption that utilized to beryllium communal successful children earlier the instauration of the MMR vaccine.
Mumps is astir recognisable by the achy swellings successful the broadside of the look nether the ears (the parotid glands), giving a idiosyncratic with mumps a distinctive "hamster face" appearance.
Other symptoms of mumps include headaches, associated symptom and a precocious temperature, which whitethorn make a fewer days earlier the swelling of the parotid glands.
While mumps is not usually serious, the condition has akin symptoms to more superior types of infection, specified as glandular fever and tonsillitis.
Your GP tin usually marque a diagnosis after seeing and feeling the swelling, looking astatine the presumption of the tonsils successful the mouth and checking the person's somesthesia to spot if it's higher than normal.
Mumps is dispersed successful the aforesaid mode arsenic colds and flu: done infected droplets of saliva that tin beryllium inhaled oregon picked up from surfaces and transferred into the rima oregon nose.
A idiosyncratic is astir contagious a fewer days earlier the symptoms make and for a fewer days afterwards.
During this time, it's important to forestall the corruption spreading to others, peculiarly teenagers and young adults who person not been vaccinated.
If you person mumps, you tin assistance forestall it spreading by:
- Regularly washing your hands with soap
- Using and disposing of tissues erstwhile you sneeze
- Avoiding schoolhouse oregon enactment for astatine slightest 5 days aft your symptoms archetypal develop
Source: NHS