Incubation Period for Mumps

The incubation period for mumps is the time between when a person becomes infected to when symptoms first appear. On average, this period is 16 to 18 days, although this varies for each individual. A person is not contagious in the early incubation period for mumps, but becomes contagious right before parotitis appears to 9 days after the onset of symptoms.

Mumps Information

Incubation Period for Mumps: An Overview

When a person becomes infected with the mumps virus, the virus begins to multiply within the nose, throat, and lymph glands in the neck. The virus can also enter the bloodstream and spread to the:

Parotid gland
Brain (meninges -- the membranes protecting the brain and spinal cord)
Breasts
Liver
Pancreas
Thyroid
Heart
Testes or ovaries
Kidneys.

After 16 to 18 days, on average, symptoms can appear. This period between mumps transmission and the start of mumps symptoms is called the "incubation period for mumps." In some cases, the incubation period can be as short as 12 days or as long as 25 days.

Is a Person Contagious During the Incubation Period for Mumps?

A person is not contagious during the early incubation period for mumps. A person is most contagious about 3 days prior to the onset of the swelling of the salivary glands (called parotitis) to 9 days after the onset of symptoms.