Cases of mumps are cropping up across the country and Texas state health officials are warning of potential exposure as families prepare for holiday travel.
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Cases of mumps are cropping up across the country and Texas state health officials are warning of potential exposure as families prepare for holiday travel.
Mumps is a viral infection that affects the salivary glands.
Dr. Mark Till, with Texas Health Dallas, said the symptoms of mumps are "fever, bodyaches, malaise cough, followed rapidly in the swelling of your parotid glands. Your cheeks swell. You look like a chipmunk."
It's spread through saliva and, while childhood vaccinations can protect against the mumps, officials said it's only about 90 percent effective.
The state is asking doctors to consider mumps for any patient showing symptoms and asking healthcare facilities to make sure they have update immunization records for all their staff members. Of people who get mumps, 20 percent may not show any symptoms.
The incubation period is 16-18 days (rang of 12-25 days) from exposure to onset of parotitis, inflamation of salivory glands.
In Texas, medical providers are asked to report mumps, or even suspicion of mumps in their patients, to state as soon as possible.
"The incidences of mumps dropped dramatically when the vaccinations came out, but it's creeping back up because people are not doing the immunizations," said Till.
