Is Mumps Making a Comeback?

Mumps is a viral disease caused by a paramyxovirus that exhibits glandular and nervous system tropism. It is a disease that has affected humankind for centuries. The classical clinical form of mumps was first described by Hippocrates in the fifth century BC as a disease associated with unilateral or bilateral swelling of the parotid glands and, in certain cases, unilateral or bilateral swelling of the testicles (1). Before the introduction of mumps vaccination, it was mainly a disease affecting children and young adults (2). Although mumps is a relatively benign disease in childhood, meningitis and orchitis are not uncommon complications in adults (1,2).