Mumps is a highly contagious disease caused by infection with a virus.
Infection with the mumps virus results in tenderness and swelling of the salivary glands in the cheeks and neck. Other complications observed with mumps include deafness, arthritis, and inflammation of the testes, kidney, pancreas, or thyroid gland. Although anyone can get mumps, the greatest risk of infection occurs among unvaccinated school age children. Mumps occurs more often during the winter and spring. You get mumps by direct exposure to saliva from persons infected with the mumps virus.