Mumps was once a childhood disease, causing swollen sore cheeks and throats and a fever. Once a vaccine was created, the incidence of mumps in the United States fell rapidly.
But now, mumps is on the rise and one group of victims is players in the National Hockey League.
About 20 players from several teams in the league are confirmed to have mumps, a highly contagious viral disease. The disease has been confirmed in players from the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, Anaheim Ducks, and New Jersey Devils. More cases are suspected. Mumps is spread through saliva, which can go flying in a high-contact setting like an ice hockey game.
Getting vaccinated greatly cuts down on the risk of getting the mumps, but it is not 100%. Adults who were vaccinated as kids may have lost their immunity. This is why vaccination must be widespread. When enough people are vaccinated, a disease has less of a chance to be spread to those who are not vaccinated.
There have been several outbreaks of mumps in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been a little more than 1,000 cases of mumps this year, compared to 438 in 2013. However, in 2006, mumps sickened more that 6,500 people mostly on college campuses.
Most children in the country are vaccinated against mumps with the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine in infancy and then again around age 5.
Mumps causes swelling of the salivary glands in the neck and cheeks, which make the saliva that keeps your mouth and throat moist and that starts the digestion of food. The parotid salivary gland, the biggest of these glands and the one that is under your cheeks in front of your ears, is often the one that is most affected.
In children, mumps is uncomfortable, but not usually dangerous. However, in teenage boys and men, mumps can cause swelling of the testicles and can lead to a loss of fertility.
