Mumps cases are rising in Maryland. Here’s what you need to know

The Maryland Department of Health is reporting 19 confirmed and seven probable cases of mumps in the year through Feb. 19.

That’s an increase from just four total confirmed cases in 2025.

Adults in the Baltimore area make up most of the recent cases, and the health department is investigating whether they are linked.

“It spreads through direct contact with saliva or respiratory droplets,” said Dr. Mettassebia “Metti” Kanno, an adult infectious disease specialist with the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group. “It’s not considered to be as contagious as measles.”

Early mumps symptoms may include an upper respiratory infection, a low-grade fever and a loss of appetite.

Kanno told WTOP the hallmark symptom is painful swelling in the glands on one or both sides of the face, “in front of the ear, right between the ear and the angle of the jaw.”

There’s no treatment for mumps, and most people recover after about two weeks, but the Maryland Department of Health said there can be serious complications, including inflammation of the testicles, ovaries or breasts, pancreatitis, hearing loss, meningitis and encephalitis. Some of these complications are more common in adults, the agency said.

The Maryland Department of Health also said the risk to the public is low, because the vaccination rate in the state is high.

The best way to prevent the disease is to get the two-dose measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine routinely recommended for kids. The first dose is typically given when a child is 12 to 15 months old, followed by the second when the child is between 4 and 6 years old.

People born before 1957 are considered immune to all three diseases. If you were born later and think you were vaccinated but can’t find proof, Kanno said you should get at least one booster shot. Adults who have never been vaccinated should get two doses.

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