Mumps virus

• Mumps


  An acute, self-limited, systemic viral illness characterized by the swelling of one or more of the salivary glands, typically the parotid glands
• Rubulavirus


  The RNA virus that causes mumps, within the genus Paramyxovirus and the family Paramyxoviridae
• Rubulavirus


  • Single-stranded, negative-sense RNA surrounded by a glycoprotein envelope
  • Contains 2 glycoproteins on the surface: one mediates neuraminidase and hemagglutination activity, the other is responsible for fusion to the lipid membrane of the host cell
• The etiology of mumps, the mumps virus, was discovered by Claude D. Johnson and Ernest William Goodpasture

  1934
• Mumps virus


  • Has a single-stranded negative-sense nonsegmented RNA genome of 15,384 nucleotides
  • Viral genome is contained in a helical nucleocapsid enclosed in a trilayered envelope studded with two surface glycoproteins
• F protein


  Involved in the fusion of the virus with the host cell membrane, allowing the virus to enter the host cell and initiate infection
• HN protein


  Involved in the attachment of the virus to host cells and also possesses neuraminidase activity
• F and HN proteins

  • Primary virulence factors of the mumps virus
  • Antibodies targeting these proteins can neutralize the infectivity of the virus in vitro and provide protection in vivo
• Virulence


  Mumps virus binds to sialic acid to enter the polarized epithelial cells in the upper respiratory tract from both sides, facilitating transmission and secondary infection
• Invasiveness


  Mumps virus can spread through saliva, released into the air when an infected individual coughs or sneezes, and can also be transmitted through contaminated surfaces
• Mumps virus


  • A human-specific virus, does not have a natural reservoir in animals and is not known to infect or circulate widely among non-human species
• Antigenic sensitivity


  Susceptibility of mumps virus antigens to detection and recognition by the immune system, crucial for development of diagnostic tests
• Reservoirs of mumps virus

  • Infected individuals
  • Asymptomatic carriers
  • Virus shedding
  • Contaminated surfaces
• Site of entrance


  Respiratory tract, through mucous membranes of the nose, mouth, or throat
• Factors affecting transmission chain

  • Vaccination coverage
  • Immune status of the population
  • Environmental factors
• Host


  Humans, the main host of the mumps virus
• Modes of transmission


  • Airborne transmission
  • Direct contact
  • Indirect contact
• Infection


  Occurs when the virus enters the body after exposure and is transmitted from an infected person
• Signs and symptoms


  • Discomfort in salivary/parotid glands
  • Difficulty chewing
  • Pain and tenderness of the testicles
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches
  • Tiredness
  • Loss of appetite
• Prevention


  Vaccination is the best way to prevent mumps and its complications, through the MMR and MMRV vaccines
• Treatment


  No specific medical treatment, but managing symptoms by providing fluids and soft foods