Mumps

Mumps is an acute viral illness. Parotitis and orchitis were described by Hippocrates in the 5th century BCE.

It was discovered in 1934 that mumps could be transmitted from infected patients to rhesus monkeys; it was also demonstrated that mumps was caused by a filterable agent present in saliva. This agent was later shown to be a virus.

Mumps was a frequent cause of outbreaks among military personnel in the prevaccine era, and was one of the most common causes of aseptic meningitis and sensorineural deafness in childhood. During World War I, only influenza and gonorrhea were more common causes of hospitalization among soldiers. A multistate mumps outbreak in 2006 resulted in more than 6,000 reported cases.