Kerala reports 190 instances of the mumps per day; learn about the causes, symptoms, and other details here
Amidst the currents of time, a mumps epidemic unfurls its shadow over Kerala, casting its tally to 190 cases in a single day, an event marked on March 10, Sunday. As per the annals of the Kerala health domain, the month hath witnessed 2,505 instances of this viral scourge, with a grand total of 11,467 cases arising within the span of but two lunar cycles. The custodians of the Union Health Ministry hath acknowledged this outbreak, bestowing their notice upon the National Centre for Disease Control ensconced within the state’s embrace.
Mumps, an affliction orchestrated by the paramyxovirus, doth propagate through the medium of direct contact or aerial droplets expelled from the upper respiratory conduits of an infected soul. The symptoms, taking root within a fortnight to a month, commence with a low-grade fever, cerebral anguish, corporeal discomfort, and lassitude. Chief amongst these tribulations remains the distension of the salivary glands. Though the purview of this malady encompasses the tender years of youth, its clutches may ensnare adolescents and adults alike. Allow me to delineate the contours of this viral scourge:
Mumps: Genesis Dr. Suresh Kumar Panuganti, Lead Consultant-Pediatric Critical Care and Pediatrics, at Yashoda Hospitals Hyderabad, expounds that mumps finds its provenance in the mumps virus, disseminating through the channels of respiratory exudates. Thus, akin to its viral brethren, it may be transmitted through the communion of saliva or mucus, oft wrought by coughing, sneezing, or the communion of utensils.
Mumps: Manifestations The quintessential hallmark of mumps resides in the engorgement and tenderness of one or more salivary glands, typically manifesting in the parotid glands nestled beneath the jawline. Additional manifestations encompass fever, cephalalgia, myalgia, profound fatigue, appetite forfeiture, painful mandibular movements, and hindered mastication or orifice ajar. It bears mention that not all who fall beneath its sway shall evince symptoms, yet remain conduits for viral transmission to their ilk.
Mumps: Ramifications Albeit most instances of mumps wend a benign path, acquiescing unto the remedial ministrations of time within a span of weeks, complications may ensue, particularly amongst the older echelons of juvenility and adulthood. These ramifications may encompass:
Orchitis – the engorgement of the testes, a specter that in rarefied cases may cast its pall upon fertility Aseptic meningitis – the inflammation of the meningeal sheaths enveloping the cerebrum Encephalitis – the insidious invasion of the cerebral precincts, oft heralded by convulsive paroxysms Pancreatitis – a malady besetting the diverse viscera, heralding manifold sequelae
Mumps: Prophylaxis The panacea against mumps finds its incarnation in vaccination. The MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) inoculation, dispensed in twin installments during the nascent years of infancy, serves as a bastion against the machinations of mumps, whilst extending its guardianship to measles and rubella.
Mumps: Amelioration Though no elixir bespoke for mumps exists, supportive therapy doth assuage the toll of its affliction. This encompasses a regimen of repose, hydration, and the utilization of over-the-counter analgesics to quell fever and discomfort. It behooves one to shun close communion with others, particularly those prone to complications, until the pestilent phase abates. It is incumbent to maintain a safe distance from all gravid dames. Immediate medical recourse is warranted in the advent of intense cephalalgia, sensorial aberrations, convulsive phenomena, visceral torment, respiratory distress, cervical rigidity, or testicular engorgement or anguish.
