The causative agent of mumps and male infertility

Under the popular name mumps hides mumps - an acute viral disease caused by paramyxovirus. There is also a less common name for this disease - mumps. Both popular names originated from the main symptoms of the disease: the sick person almost always has severe swelling of the parotid salivary glands, which makes his face look like the snout of a domestic animal of the same name.

Features of the disease

The first cases of this disease were written by Hippocrates in the 5th century BC. e., however, microbiology was able to systematize data on the disease and the causative agent of mumps only in the last century. At the same time, a vaccine against the disease was developed and applied, and over time, more effective modifications were synthesized. It is thanks to vaccination that the name of the disease - mumps (parotitis epidemica), today is difficult to call correct. Although there is not a single corner of the world where mumps is not sick, and the incidence of mumps is increasing, real mumps epidemics have not been observed for a long time.

This disease can be almost asymptomatic, but it is tolerated, basically, without serious consequences. However, families with boys growing up have to be more wary of mumps, since it is boys who most often develop serious complications.

Microbiology has studied the causative agent of parotitis quite well. Paramyxovirus differs, first of all, in its instability. It quickly dies under the influence of ultraviolet rays, when boiled or treated with disinfectants, but is able to remain viable for a long time on objects in cold conditions, at temperatures up to 70 degrees below zero. In laboratory conditions, only monkeys managed to reproduce a disease similar to human parotitis. Other laboratory animals were not very susceptible to the virus, so the ways of its transmission are few.

The virus will be transmitted by airborne droplets, and you can get infected only from a sick person, although microbiology does not exclude the possibility of spreading the disease through objects used by the patient.

The virus multiplies most actively in late winter - early spring, and the incidence of mumps is seasonal. It usually peaks in the first spring months.

A person who has been ill with mumps once usually acquires lifelong immunity, but there have been cases of re-infection with the mumps virus.

Symptoms of infection

A typical, and at the same time, the most visible appearance of a mumps infection is swelling of the parotid salivary glands on one or both sides. Often the infection also passes to the sublingual and submandibular salivary glands, and then the patient's neck looks like one with the head. At the same time, pressure on the swelling is almost always painful.

Sometimes there are no visible symptoms of the disease, which only favors the spread of the virus. Paramyxovirus most often affects children and adolescents, with boys getting sick almost twice as often as girls, but cases of the disease among adults are not uncommon. Newborn babies can catch mumps from their mother during feeding or even during the prenatal period, but if the mother had mumps before pregnancy, the antibodies will be transferred to the baby and will protect him from paramyxovirus for the first six months of his life.

In addition to mild, moderate and severe degrees of damage by paramyxovirus, parotitis is distinguished, aggravated and not aggravated by complications, and an asymptomatic disease is called inapparent. Among other things, the so-called non-infectious parotitis, which has nothing to do with viral infections, is isolated separately. Such a disease develops most often due to injuries or severe hypothermia, which cause damage to the salivary glands.

At first, the causative agent of mumps gradually accumulates on the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, then enters the bloodstream, with which it is delivered to the glandular organs. The first place of active accumulation and reproduction of the virus is the parotid salivary glands. Then it penetrates into the rest of the glands and nerves, although it may not reach their inflammation. Usually, the salivary glands become inflamed in turn, then the pancreas, testicles or ovaries, nerves, etc.

How is mumps going

The severity of the course of mumps depends to a large extent on the state of health of the person at the time of infection. A healthy body with a strong immune system is threatened, perhaps, with an excess of symptoms during the course of the disease. On the other hand, an infection that was transferred shortly before the mumps disease and the lack of timely vaccination can significantly complicate the disease.

Following the incubation period, the duration of which varies in different cases from 11 to 23 days, the prodromal period of the disease begins. The peculiarity of parotitis is that this period is either very short (1-3 days), or it is absent altogether.At the same time, a patient can infect with paramyxovirus already 1-2 days before the onset of the first symptoms of malaise.

The subdromal period, as usual, is to know that an infection has entered the body, but it is not yet clear which one. The patient feels general weakness, apathy and drowsiness, lack of appetite, headache and aching joints.

The period of accumulation and reproduction of the virus is accompanied by a gradual swelling of the salivary glands and a jump in temperature to 39-40 degrees. One parotid salivary gland can become inflamed, or the inflammation gradually covers the opposite gland, as well as the sublingual and submandibular salivary glands. Inflammation is accompanied by soreness and a strong otk. At the same time, the earlobes raised at the peak of the withdrawal become painful.

The temperature remains high for about a week, and then gradually begins to subside, but with inflammation of other organs, it rises again.

With a particularly severe course of mumps, it is painful for the patient to chew and the food has to be ground before use. About a week after the onset of the disease, the inflammation begins to subside, and after ten days the patient almost does not bother. If the disease proceeds in a mild form, the symptoms of mumps will be invisible or may resemble the usual SARS.

A severe course of parotitis with involvement of other organs into inflammation and further complications can adversely affect human health in the future. In children, a severe degree of mumps is accompanied by lethargy and capriciousness, heart palpitations, low blood pressure and poor appetite. After five or six days, the child may develop acute pancreatitis, meningitis, and a little later signs of inflammation of the testicles or ovaries appear.

Possible complications

Meningitis is one of the most serious complications of mumps. Damage to the lining of the brain begins approximately 4-10 days after inflammation of the salivary glands. The following symptoms will help identify the onset of meningitis:

• Chills and recurrence of fever;
• Headache;
• Lightheadedness;
• Increased tone of the muscles of the back of the head does not allow the patient to touch the chin to the chest.

Meningoencephalitis, as a complication of mumps, develops less frequently, but is more severe and has much more serious consequences. With this disease, in addition to the membranes, the brain itself becomes inflamed. Characteristic signs are impaired consciousness, lethargy and drowsiness, muscle paresis, sluggish reflexes.

Orchitis and epidymitis (inflammation of the testicles and their appendages) against the background of parotitis also develop boys. It develops about a week after the onset of mumps. The patient may complain of pain in the scrotum, there is redness of the testicle and an increase in inguinal lymph nodes. Pain can radiate to the lower abdomen, which makes the overall picture similar to the symptoms of appendicitis.

Oorphitis (inflammation of the ovaries) develops in girls much less frequently than orchitis in boys and is much easier. Signs of orchitis are unilateral or bilateral pain in the groin.

Pancreatitis often develops against the background of parotitis in adults due to the weakening of the gland due to malnutrition. Signs of the disease are lightheadedness, cutting pains in the abdomen, radiating to the back, fever, vomiting, constipation, interspersed with loosening of the stool.

Consequences of mumps

Penetration of paramyxovirus causes not only inflammation of the glands themselves, but also thickening of their secretions. The excretory pathways become inflamed, which prevents the normal excretion of secrets, which has a negative effect on the surrounding organs and systems. This is the main danger of mumps, since the virus damage to neighboring organs can have serious consequences.

Lethal outcomes of parotitis do occur, but very rarely. They are usually caused by a re-infection and a severe course of the disease.

In men, the result of mumps may be infertility due to inflammation and possible subsequent testicular atrophy, which may occur some time after the disease. Another unpleasant consequence of mumps for men is priapism. This is an involuntary erection that has nothing to do with sexual arousal, is quite painful and can last for hours.

Hearing loss and deafness can often occur due to mumps suffered at an early age due to inflammation of the auditory nerve. More often it is unilateral. The first signs of inflammation of the auditory nerve are tinnitus, dizziness and lightheadedness. Due to the development of the inflammatory process in the inner ear (labyrinth), coordination of movements may be disturbed.

The mumps virus can affect many glandular organs, including milk ones. A woman who has had mumps may develop mastitis, and also, due to inflammation of the ovaries, bartholinitis. Paramyxovirus can cause diseases of the thyroid gland, heart and even joints. In some cases, a past mumps infection can provoke the development of diabetes.

Treatment

Usually, mumps is treated at home, trying to limit the contact of the patient as much as possible. Hospitalization is necessary only in cases of severe disease and if there are signs of complications.

There are no drugs against paramyxovirus, so treatment is aimed at alleviating the symptoms of the disease and preventing the development of complications. an important stage of treatment is a diet of excess fried, spicy, sweet, smoked and fatty, rich in carcasses and steamed dishes.

Prevention

Vaccinations against mumps are one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of the disease among children. However, in adults under 30 years of age, the incidence of mumps, on the contrary, increases. Since it is easiest to catch this virus in crowded places, it is recommended to simply avoid such places, especially during the period of seasonal activity of the virus - at the end of winter and in the first months of spring.