The Mumps Virus Antibody (IgG) test contains 1 test with 1 biomarker.
Description: The Mumps antibody test is used to measure the blood’s serum for measles antibodies, which may be present because of a previous infection or a vaccination.
Also Known As: Mumps Virus Test, Mumps Antibody test, Mumps Titer Test
Collection Method: Blood draw
Specimen Type: Serum
Test Preparation: No preparation required
Average Processing Time: 1 to 2 days
When is a Mumps Antibody IgG test ordered?
An IgG antibody test for mumps may be conducted if a health care provider wants to see if a patient is immune to one or both viruses, either from a past infection or vaccination.
When a person has mumps-like signs and symptoms, or has been exposed to someone who has the virus and now has a fever and some symptoms that could be attributable to mumps, IgM and IgG antibody testing may be requested. These tests are usually ordered early in the infection's progress.
Mumps signs and symptoms appear after a 2 to 3 week incubation period and are commonly mistaken for flu symptoms, such as:
- Headache
- Fever
- Muscle aches
These are followed by parotitis, which is a swelling of the salivary glands beneath one or both ears.
When numerous persons have been exposed and show the signs and symptoms indicated above, testing may be required during a suspected or confirmed outbreak.
What does a Mumps Antibody IgG blood test check for?
The viruses that cause measles and mumps belong to the Paramyxoviridae family. They both induce infections that normally go away within a few days, but in rare situations, they might lead to significant problems. Both can be avoided by being vaccinated. Antibodies developed in response to infection may be detected in the blood during measles and mumps testing. In addition, employing culture or a molecular approach such as polymerase chain reaction, the virus or its genetic material can be detected directly in a sample. These techniques can be used to a wide range of samples.
The number of instances of measles and mumps infections in the United States has dropped from several hundred thousand to a few hundred per year. Comprehensive measles and mumps immunization campaigns are to blame for the declines. While vaccines exist for each virus, combination vaccines, such as MMR, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella all at once, are commonly used. In recent years, the majority of new cases in the United States have occurred in rare outbreaks, mostly among persons who have not been vaccinated, particularly those who have gone to places of the world where measles or mumps are more common.
Mumps is a viral infection spread through saliva or respiratory secretions. An infected person often gets flu-like symptoms such as a headache, muscle aches, and fever after a 2 to 3 week incubation period, followed by parotitis. Mumps is usually a mild, self-limiting condition, but some patients can develop problems like temporary or permanent deafness, testicular or ovarian inflammation, pancreatitis, meningitis, or encephalitis.
Mumps, a milder condition than measles, is no longer as frequent as it once was, although it is still endemic in many regions of the world. Mumps cases in the United States range from 200 to 2,000 every year, according to the CDC. Outbreaks can happen in places where people interact frequently, such as classrooms, sports teams, or college dorms. Several tiny outbreaks occurred on college campuses in California, Maryland, and Virginia between 2011 and 2013, for example, although their spread was limited.
Lab tests often ordered with a Mumps Antibody IgG test:
- Measles
- Rubella
- Varicella Zoster Virus
- Tuberculosis
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
Conditions where a Mumps Antibody IgG test is recommended:
- Mumps
- Measles
- Rubella
- Meningitis
- Travelers’ Diseases
- Pancreatitis
- Infertility
- Pneumonia
How does my health care provider use a Mumps Antibody IgG test?
Antibody tests for mumps can be used to:
- Confirm if a person is virus-free due to previous infections or vaccinations.
- Diagnosis of a mumps outbreak
- In order to protect the public's health, epidemics must be detected, monitored, and tracked.
Antibody analysis
Antibody testing can be used to confirm immunity, identify a current infection, or follow outbreaks. Antibodies to the mumps viruses are viral-specific proteins produced by the immune system in response to infection with the virus or immunization. IgM and IgG antibodies are the two types of antibodies generated. IgM antibodies are the first to emerge in the blood after exposure or immunization. IgM antibody levels rise over several days to a peak, then gradually decline over the next few weeks. IgG antibodies take a little longer to develop, but once they do, they remain positive for the rest of your life, protecting you from re-infection. By comparing the levels of antibody in two blood samples taken weeks apart, it is sometimes possible to distinguish between an active and past infection.
What do my Mumps Antibody IgG test results mean?
When IgM antibodies to mumps are present in someone who hasn't been vaccinated recently, it's likely that they have a current mumps infection. When both IgM and IgG antibodies are present, or there is a fourfold increase in concentrations between acute and convalescent IgG antibody testing, it is likely that the person is now infected or has recently been infected with mumps.
When a person who has been vaccinated and/or is not currently ill possesses mumps IgG antibodies, that individual is protected from infection. A person is not deemed immune to the virus if they do not have mumps IgG antibodies. This could be due to the fact that the person hasn't been exposed to the virus, the IgG hasn't had enough time to mature, or the person doesn't have a typical antibody response.
We advise having your results reviewed by a licensed medical healthcare professional for proper interpretation of your results.
