According to the Yogyakarta City Health Office, 157 elementary school children were reported to have contracted mumps or parotitis.
This number increased between August and September 2024. Mumps is an infection that affects the salivary glands located below the earlobes. While most cases resolve unaided, mumps can lead to complications with fatal consequences.
A Pediatrician at Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta, Dr. Rr. Ratni Indrawanti, explained that a paramyxovirus virus causes this infection.
Patients will experience symptoms for 16–18 days. Possible symptoms during the first 2–3 days include fever, headache, and body discomfort, sometimes accompanied by coughing or vomiting. The following symptom is swelling of the salivary glands, which causes pain.
“This swelling lasts 5–7 days and can occur on both sides of the neck. Afterward, the swelling will subside on its own,” Sr. Indrawanti said in the monthly Tropmed Talk podcast organized by the UGM Center for Tropical Medicine (PKT UGM) on Monday (Oct. 21).
Although most cases resolve independently, mumps can lead to severe complications.
“If the infection spreads to the brain, it can cause encephalitis,” said Dr. Indrawanti.
Symptoms include fever, seizures, and loss of consciousness. Other potential complications are pneumonia and pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas.
Adolescent or adult infections can cause orchitis or testicular inflammation in males and oophoritis or ovarian inflammation in females.
“Pregnant women are also at risk of severe complications, potentially leading to miscarriage, especially if infected during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy,” she added.
Mumps transmission is relatively easy. It primarily spreads through droplets or saliva expelled during sneezing, shouting, or coughing.
The droplet virus can survive for several hours, allowing for indirect transmission. This can happen when someone touches a droplet on a surface and then touches their nose or mouth. Therefore, Dr. Indrawanti advises isolating patients for five days from the onset of fever.
Preventive measures can be taken to stop the spread of the virus. First, practicing clean and healthy behaviors (PHBS) is essential to kill the virus and prevent its spread quickly. Second, the MMR vaccine can be administered.
“This is a combination vaccine, which can prevent three diseases. If someone has previously contracted mumps, proven by an antibody test, the MMR vaccine may not be necessary,” she said.
Author: Bolivia
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Photo: Freepik
Post-editor: Afif