Maryland health officials sees increase in mumps cases, says overall risk remains low

WASHINGTON (7News) — Maryland is seeing an increase in Mumps cases less than two months into the new year, though health officials said the risk for catching the disease remains low due to high vaccination levels.

As of Thursday, officials have received 19 confirmed cases and seven probable cases, mostly from adults in the Baltimore area. The disease typically spreads through direct contact with saliva or respiratory droplets, officials said.

So far, officials have not found a link between the cases.

The disease is contagious but not as much as measles, which has seen an uptick in recent years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported nearly 2,300 measles cases in 2025 and just over 900 confirmed cases.

“The most effective prevention against a mumps infection is to get the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella or MMR vaccine, a two-dose series that is routinely recommended at 12–15 months of age for the first dose and the second dose at 4–6 years old,” said Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services Dr. Meg Sullivan in a statement. “Talk with your health care provider about whether you and your family are up to date with the MMR vaccine. It is the most effective way to protect against all three viruses.”

Mumps symptoms appear roughly two to four weeks after exposure. Click here for more details on the disease, or read the Maryland Department of Health fact sheet below:

HEALTH | US population expected to stop growing in 30 years, then start shrinking