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| Investigation | Mumps | | Indications | Mumps is a contagious viral infection that used to be common in children. It is spread in the same way as colds and flu: inside infected droplets of saliva that can be inhaled or picked up from surfaces and passed into the mouth or nose. Symptoms include painful swellings located at the side of the face under the ears (the parotid glands), which makes the person with mumps show a distinctive "hamster face" like appearance. Other symptoms include headache, joint pain and a high temperature.
A person is most contagious one to two days before the onset of symptoms, and for five days afterwards.
| | Specimen Type | Blood sample (ochre topped bottle), urine, mouth swab in viral transport media or sterile universal | | Request Form | Virology | | Volume | 7-10 ml of blood / minimum of 50 ml of urine | | Delivery Time | within 24 hours of collection. | | Storage Temp / Special conditions | If samples are to be refrigerated, store at 4oC. | | Turn around time for final test | approx 3 working days | | Appropriate testing /re-testing interval | The first (acute-phase) serum sample should be collected as soon as possible upon suspicion of mumps disease.
Convalescent-phase serum samples should be collected about 2–3 weeks after the acute-phase sample.
Urine samples may not be as useful as mouth specimens for virus isolation or detection of mumps. Unlike mouth specimens, urine samples may not be positive for mumps virus until 4 days after symptom onset.
When taking a mouth specimen, massage the parotid gland area for 30 seconds prior to swabbing the area around Stensen’s duct. | | Related tests | None | | HOW TO guides | None | | Information leaflets | None | | Publications | None | | Guidelines | None |
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