Can Mumps Affect Adults?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Complications of mumps happen more often among adults than children

, and may include: Meningitis or encephalitis. Inflammation of the membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord or inflammation of the brain.

How does the mumps virus affect the body?

Mumps is a viral infection that

primarily affects saliva-producing (salivary) glands that are located near your ears

. Mumps can cause swelling in one or both of these glands. Mumps was common in the United States until mumps vaccination became routine.

What happens when a grown man gets the mumps?

Mumps can occasionally cause complications, especially in adults. Complications can include:

inflammation of the testicles (orchitis); this may lead to a decrease in testicular size (testicular atrophy) inflammation of the ovaries (oophoritis) and/or breast tissue (mastitis)

What are the long term effects of measles?

Two studies published yesterday in Science and Science Immunology illustrate how the measles virus causes long-term

damage to the immune system

, creating a form of immune amnesia that can leave children at an increased risk of illness from other diseases for years.

What causes measles in adults?

Measles is an infectious illness caused by

the rubeola virus

. It spreads either through direct contact with a person who has the virus or through droplets in the air. Measles is a highly contagious disease that can lead to life-threatening complications.

What causes mumps in adults?

Causes of mumps

Mumps is due to

an infection by the mumps virus

. It can be transmitted by respiratory secretions (e.g. saliva) from a person already affected with the condition. When contracting mumps, the virus travels from the respiratory tract to the salivary glands and reproduces, causing the glands to swell.

What are the symptoms of chickenpox in adults?

  • Flu-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, body aches, and headache. These symptoms typically start a day or two before a rash appears.
  • Red spots appear on the face and chest, eventually spreading over the entire body. …
  • Blisters weep, become sores, form crusts, and heal.

What is rubella disease?

Rubella (German Measles, Three-Day Measles)

Rubella is

a contagious disease caused by a virus

. Most people who get rubella usually have a mild illness, with symptoms that can include a low-grade fever, sore throat, and a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.

Can measles cause infertility?

It mainly affects the glands. Symptoms are swollen saliva-producing glands in the neck, fever, headache, and muscle aches. A feared complication is that

it can affect the testicles in males and cause sterility

. It can also cause other serious complications.

Why does mumps cause infertility?


Orchitis generally affects just one testicle but can affect both testicles in about 1 in 6 men

. This is the reason why mumps causes male infertility. Orchitis caused due to mumps becomes noticeable in the first week of contracting the disease.

Can female adults get mumps?


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: Testicles (in males who’ve already gone through puberty) Ovaries.

How can mumps affect the male reproductive system?

Just under half of all males who get mumps-related orchitis notice some

shrinkage of their testicles and an estimated 1 in 10 men experience a drop in their sperm count

(the amount of healthy sperm their body can produce). However, this is very rarely large enough to cause infertility.

Is measles chronic or acute?

Measles is an

acute

viral respiratory illness. It is characterized by a prodrome of fever (as high as 105°F) and malaise, cough, coryza, and conjunctivitis -the three “C”s -, a pathognomonic enanthema (Koplik spots) followed by a maculopapular rash .

How is mumps spread from person to person?

The mumps virus replicates in the upper respiratory tract and is transmitted person to person

through direct contact with saliva or respiratory droplets of a person infected with mumps

.

What are the long-term effects of chickenpox?

Serious complications from chickenpox include:

Bacterial infections of the skin and soft tissues in children, including Group A streptococcal infections

.

Infection of the lungs (pneumonia) Infection or swelling of the brain (encephalitis, cerebellar ataxia)

Can measles lead to brain damage?


Normally, the measles virus does not cause brain damage

. However, an abnormal immune response to measles or, possibly, certain mutant forms of the virus may cause severe illness and death. This response leads to brain inflammation (swelling and irritation) that may last for years.

How does rubella affect the immune system?

Infection with rubella early in utero has a profound effect on the developing immune system. Defects observed are:

complete immune paralysis, PHA unresponsiveness, immunoglobulin abnormalities, and loss of antibody to rubella

. These defects are transient; absence of IgA may be permanent.

How does measles affect the respiratory system?

The respiratory and intestinal tracts are the most affected sites in measles-infected children.

When the measles virus affects the lower respiratory tract epithelium and destroys local immunity within the lungs

, an individual suffers from pneumonia [2,3].

What does measles look like in adults?

It usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet. Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots. The spots may become joined together as they spread from the head to the rest of the body.

What is the difference between measles and chickenpox?

They’re caused by two different viruses.

Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. Measles, also called rubeola, is caused by the measles virus

. Both diseases used to be common childhood infections, but now are preventable through vaccination.

What is the most common complication of mumps?

Previously published complication rates for mumps suggest that

orchitis

is the most common complication in 15%–30% of adult men with mumps (21–24). Mumps meningitis has been reported in 1%–10%, mumps pancreatitis in 4%, and mumps oophoritis in 5% of persons with mumps (3,25,26).

What are 3 symptoms of mumps?

  • Pain and swelling in the salivary glands, especially in the jaw area.
  • Trouble talking and chewing.
  • Earache.
  • Fever.
  • Headache.
  • Muscle aches.
  • Tiredness.
  • Loss of appetite.

Do adults measles?

Measles in adults

Although it’s often associated with childhood illness,

adults can get measles too

. People who aren’t vaccinated are at a higher risk of catching the disease. It’s generally accepted that adults born during or before 1957 are naturally immune to measles.

Why is chickenpox more severe in adults?

The illness is often more severe in adults compared to children. Most people who have had chickenpox will be immune to the disease for the rest of their lives. However,

the virus remains inactive in nerve tissue and may reactivate later in life causing shingles

.

Is chickenpox worse in adults?

Is chickenpox worse in adults? The short answer: yes.

Adults who contract chickenpox typically display more severe symptoms than those that are seen in children

, which can lead to a number of further health complications.

What is chicken pox in adults called?


Shingles

is caused by the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you’ve had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near your spinal cord and brain. Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles.

James Park
Author
James Park
Dr. James Park is a medical doctor and health expert with a focus on disease prevention and wellness. He has written several publications on nutrition and fitness, and has been featured in various health magazines. Dr. Park's evidence-based approach to health will help you make informed decisions about your well-being.