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AN INVESTIGATION OF THE ETIOLOGY OF MUMPS

C D Johnson1, E W Goodpasture

  • 1Department of Pathology, Vanderbilt University Medical School, Nashville.

The Journal of Experimental Medicine
|October 30, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Researchers isolated a novel virus from mumps patients' saliva. This filterable virus caused parotitis in monkeys, suggesting it is the causative agent of mumps.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Mumps is a contagious viral illness characterized by swelling of the salivary glands.
  • The specific causative agent of mumps had not been definitively identified prior to this study.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and isolate the infectious agent responsible for mumps.
  • To experimentally induce mumps-like symptoms in a susceptible animal model.

Main Methods:

  • Saliva samples were collected from patients in the early stages of mumps.
  • A filterable virus was isolated from positive samples.
  • The isolated virus was inoculated into the parotid glands of rhesus monkeys via Stensen's duct.

Main Results:

  • A filterable, cytotropic virus was successfully isolated from 4 out of 6 mumps patient saliva specimens.
  • Inoculation of rhesus monkeys resulted in acute, non-suppurative parotitis, clinically analogous to human mumps.
  • The isolated virus was free of detectable microorganisms and did not correspond to known viruses.

Conclusions:

  • The isolated filterable virus is identified as the causative agent of mumps.
  • This discovery provides a critical step in understanding mumps pathogenesis and developing diagnostic tools.

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