Health
As New Jersey investigates mumps outbreak, experts share what to know about symptoms, protection
The New Jersey Department of Health is investigating a suspected cluster of mumps cases in Hunterdon County among eight family members who traveled internationally, according to a recent press release.
No additional information was provided due to privacy concerns, the release indicated.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported at least 50 cases of mumps from over 20 states this year.
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Health officials say that vaccination is the most effective protection.
“The best way to keep you and your loved ones safe is to get the MMR shot,” said Dr. Kaitlan Baston, the acting health commissioner, per the release.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported at least 50 cases of mumps from over 20 states this year. (iStock)
“These viruses are incredibly contagious, so if you suspect you may have measles, mumps or rubella, it is important to call ahead before visiting any health care provider or facility so they can take special precautions,” she added.
What is mumps?
Mumps is an infectious disease caused by a virus.
It’s spread by direct contact with saliva, such as kissing or sharing water bottles with someone who has mumps.
It can also spread by respiratory droplets from the mouth, nose or throat from an infected person who is talking, coughing or sneezing, according to the CDC.
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Outbreaks often occur in settings where there is frequent close contact, such as on college campuses or in large gatherings.
“Mumps itself typically causes swelling of the glands in the head and neck that make saliva — most often the parotid glands, which are the largest salivary glands that sit just in front of the ears,” Dr. Mike Smith, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, told Fox News Digital.
Symptoms of mumps
Someone who is infected with mumps can spread the infection several days before the parotid glands start to swell and up to five days after, the CDC stated.
Some people may not develop any symptoms; but for those who become symptomatic, they generally start to feel sick anywhere from 12 to 25 days after infection.
Mumps typically causes swelling of the glands in the head and neck, said an infectious diseases expert. (iStock)
Typical symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue and loss of appetite.
Most people get better on their own within two weeks.
In rare cases, especially in adults, swelling may occur in other parts of the body.
The most common complication of mumps in males is inflammation and swelling of the testicles, or orchitis, which occurs in about a third of unvaccinated men, Smith said.
Why is mumps making a comeback?
Reported cases of the mumps fell by more than 99% after the MMR vaccine was introduced in the U.S., the CDC noted.
Outbreaks and cases have been increasing since 2006, however — with most diagnoses occurring in young adults and previously vaccinated individuals, the agency adds.
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“There is no individual vaccine against mumps, but it is part of the MMR vaccine that prevents measles, mumps and rubella,” Smith said.
It is recommended that children get two doses, starting with the first dose at 12 to 15 months old and a second dose between 4 and 6 years of age, according to the CDC’s website.
Adults who are not immune are advised to get at least one dose of the MMR vaccine.
Outbreaks and cases of mumps have been increasing since 2006, per the CDC. (iStock)
“Mumps immunization rates unfortunately are not where they should be,” Dr. Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital on Long Island, New York, told Fox News Digital.
Only about 90% of children are fully vaccinated for mumps by 24 months of age, according to the CDC.
If people receive the standard recommendation of two mumps vaccinations as a child, there still is a chance that immunity will wane and they will get mumps if exposed later in life, according to Glatt.
“As such, we actually recommend that a third dose be given to people in an outbreak setting,” he said.
Differences between measles and mumps
Measles and mumps are caused by different viruses that belong to the same family of viruses called Paramyxoviridae, which are known to spread disease by respiratory droplets, according to the National Institutes of Health.
“Worldwide, both measles and mumps are very significant problems, with over 100,000 deaths due to measles in the previous year,” Glatt said.
There is no individual vaccine against mumps, but it is part of the MMR vaccine that prevents measles, mumps and rubella. (iStock)
The MMR vaccine protects against both viral infections, but measles is more contagious than mumps, with the highest mortality rate among the three infections that it protects against, Smith added.
“Measles is a far more serious illness than mumps, and is also making a resurgence in the U.S. after we thought we had eradicated it in 2002,” Glatt noted.
Common complications of measles include diarrhea and ear infections, but severe cases can include brain swelling (encephalitis) and pneumonia.
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The CDC estimates that up to 90% of people who are exposed to someone with measles will get infected if they are not already immune.
Among the current measles outbreaks in the U.S., almost all cases have involved unvaccinated individuals, according to Smith.
Many young people who get infected with mumps, however, have received vaccinations.
Typical symptoms of mumps include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue and loss of appetite. (iStock)
A 2021 CDC report that reviewed cases of mumps from 2007 to 2019 in children and adolescents found that approximately 94% of people who contracted mumps were previously vaccinated.
The two infections also have different symptoms.
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People infected with measles usually develop their first symptoms within seven to 14 days after getting exposed, while people who get mumps usually experience illness around two weeks after infection.
The most classic sign of measles is cold symptoms followed by a red rash that starts on the face and moves downward.
With mumps, a telltale sign is puffiness of one or both cheeks, which occurs after non-specific symptoms.
Most people with mumps and measles get better within one to two weeks.
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A decades-long effort to develop a vaccine against one of the world’s leading causes of severe digestive illness has reached a milestone, according to new research.
Scientists recently developed a technology targeting enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), a bacterium responsible for millions of diarrheal illnesses each year.
The technology has now been licensed to French vaccine manufacturer Valneva for further development.
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The findings come after decades of research led by scientists at the University of Bergen and the Norwegian Research Center (NORCE).
One of the most common bacterial causes of severe diarrhea worldwide, ETEC is known to disproportionately affect children in low- and middle-income countries. Despite years of research, there is currently no broadly effective vaccine to prevent the infection, according to the study.
Researchers have made a major breakthrough in the decades-long effort to develop a vaccine against ETEC, a leading cause of diarrheal disease worldwide. (iStock)
The researchers focused on a toxin produced by ETEC that has long been considered one of the biggest obstacles to vaccine development.
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James Fleckenstein, MD, a professor of medicine and molecular microbiology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said the findings represent a promising step.
“We still have a lot of work to do to translate these findings to an actual vaccine,” Fleckenstein, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital. “But the approach does look promising in the sense that the proteins elicit strong antibody responses that appear to offer protection against diarrheal illness after the first infection in children in developing countries.”
ETEC is a leading bacterial cause of severe diarrhea worldwide, especially among children in low- and middle-income countries. (iStock)
If the vaccine eventually reaches patients, researchers hope it could help protect children against some of the most severe forms of diarrheal disease caused by ETEC.
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In the meantime, Fleckenstein said travelers can take steps to reduce their risk of diarrheal illnesses. He recommends avoiding high-risk foods — including meals from street vendors in areas where sanitation may be poor — drinking bottled water in higher-risk regions, and practicing good hand hygiene.
While a vaccine is still years away, experts recommend avoiding high-risk foods, drinking bottled water and washing your hands to reduce the risk of ETEC. (iStock)
Fleckenstein also noted that vaccines are available to protect against typhoid fever, and said travelers should consult their physician before traveling internationally.
The research did have some limitations, the researchers noted.
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The technology is still in development and has not yet been tested as an approved vaccine among the public.
While the licensing agreement allows Valneva to continue advancing the research, additional laboratory studies, clinical trials and regulatory review will be required before the vaccine becomes available.
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Bryan Johnson, a biohacker and longevity guru who has claimed “we may be the first generation who won’t die,” revealed he has an autoimmune condition causing his stomach to “eat itself.”
The Los Angeles-based tech entrepreneur, 48, has previously shared publicly that he is hoping to live until the year 2140, when he would in theory be 160 years old.
Now, Johnson says he has been diagnosed with autoimmune gastritis (AIG), a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the stomach’s acid-producing parietal cells, reducing stomach acid and impairing vitamin B12 absorption, according to Nature Reviews Disease Primers.
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“My stomach is eating itself,” he wrote in an Instagram post. Johnson also shared that anywhere from 2% to 5% of people likely have this disease.
“I’m going to try to solve it,” Johnson went on. “Will share all.”
Bryan Johnson, a biohacker and longevity guru who has claimed “we may be the first generation who won’t die,” revealed he has an autoimmune condition causing his stomach to “eat itself.” (Getty Images)
The biohacker shared that as a child, he ate sugary cereal, drank sugary soda and “gobbled down fast food.”
“I became a young father of three and began building a business,” Johnson went on. “Juggling that stress and grind, I let my health slip and gained 40 lbs. Within a few years I’d fallen into a deep, chronic depression.”
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“Somewhere in that timeline, my body began developing an autoimmune process affecting my thyroid and then my stomach lining,” he added.
Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson for comment.
AIG can remain hidden and can be challenging to diagnose, Johnson noted, often surfacing years after damage has already occurred to the stomach. It can cause iron deficiency, B12 deficiency and anemia, and can also increase the risk of stomach cancer, the expert warned.
“Low iron stores get normalized and rarely investigated at all when anemia hasn’t shown up yet,” Johnson wrote. “That blind spot is what hid mine for a decade.”
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He also shared that for 11 years, he has had low levels of ferritin, a protein that stores iron inside the body’s cells. Ferritin releases iron when the body needs it, supports muscle function and carries out other essential processes.
“We continually tried to raise my iron levels with food and supplementation, but nothing would work,” he said.
The Los Angeles-based tech entrepreneur, 48, has previously shared publicly that he is hoping to live until the year 2140. (Getty Images)
Johnson acknowledged that some common biohacking techniques — including hard training, sauna and hyperbaric oxygen — all raise the body’s demand for iron.
“But none of them explained the core failure: Despite me taking iron orally, trailing every formulation and using every timing trick, none of the iron would stick.”
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Johnson underwent a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy, which examined his entire intestinal tract. Five biopsies were also taken from his stomach, which found “clear signs of early autoimmune gastritis: early atrophy confined to the acid-producing lining.”
In January 2026, the biohacker stated in a post on his website that “by 2039, my goal is immortality.”
“In the age of AI, multiomics, and custom-built DNA, proteins and cells, no condition should be presumed incurable simply because no one has yet tried to cure it with today’s stack,” Johnson said in his post. (Getty Images)
He detailed his strategy for defying aging, which includes embracing a strict regimen to slow or stop biological aging, using AI to accelerate longevity research, testing new treatments in lab-grown cells and organs, and reaching “longevity escape velocity” — in which medical advances would eventually extend lifespan faster than he ages.
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“I may fail at this task, but my team and I will try our best,” he wrote at the time.
There is currently no cure for AIG, which Johnson said he wants to change.
Johnson acknowledged that some common biohacking techniques — including hard training, sauna and hyperbaric oxygen — all raise the body’s demand for iron. (iStock)
“In the age of AI, multiomics, and custom-built DNA, proteins and cells, no condition should be presumed incurable simply because no one has yet tried to cure it with today’s stack.”
Johnson ended his post by urging others to prioritize their health.
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“Care for yourself, care for others, care for the planet and care for our animal friends. Care for life, as it’s the most precious gift there is.”
The longevity guru also shared an image showing the detailed findings of his five stomach biopsies.
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At 93, sprightly referee Frank Foster is still brandishing red and yellow cards and running the field three times a week for his local soccer association.
Having taken charge of around 5,500 matches over a 46-year officiating career, the great-grandfather credits his longevity and match-day stamina to a lifetime of healthy habits and a foundational diet, news agency SWNS reported.
Foster puts his remarkable fitness down to the strict wartime rations he was fed as a teenager, noting that it ensured he grew up eating “healthy food” rather than “sweets and cakes.”
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Decades later, his game-day preparation is still fueled by wholesome nutrition, always starting with a morning bowl of oatmeal, cereal or marmalade on toast to give him the energy to last the full 90 minutes.
The meal keeps him active enough to referee men’s, women’s and children’s games, a hobby he jokes he will never blow the final whistle on.
Frank Foster started refereeing in 1980. Today, he still officiates men’s, women’s and children’s games around three times a week. (SWNS)
His sharp mind and authoritative presence on the field are just as strong as his physical endurance.
A military veteran who aced his referee exam in 1980 with a 98% score, Foster relies on old-school discipline to keep matches under control, SWNS reported.
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He believes modern elite officials are too “soft” and allow player antics to ruin the sport. To maintain order and keep players from acting out, he lays down strict ground rules before kickoff. He has no patience for intimidation or theatrical diving. “Those who go down like they have been shot, well, I would just book them,” he said.
He is equally uncompromising when squads try to crowd him on the field.
Frank Foster is pictured before he became a referee. (Frank Foster/SWNS)
“I wouldn’t let them surround me at all,” Foster told SWNS.
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“I would say to the players, ‘Stay where you are,’ and ‘If you move one more inch, I will give you a yellow card.’ You need to stamp your authority and let them know who is in control.”
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He also avoids the modern stress of video-reviewing plays, which he believes creates unnecessary “aggression and disappointment” over microscopic offside calls, adding, “I think it spoils the game.”
Foster credits his longevity to wartime rations, adding that he avoided sweets. (SWNS)
“Sometimes it is only the player’s toe that is offside — it is ridiculous.”
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Foster says he “never thought” he’d still be doing this at age 93, but he makes the most of that gift.
He keeps his kit freshly washed, making sure it is “neat and tidy” for when he gets on that field.
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Foster, of South Yorkshire, England, also scrubs his black Adidas boots after every game, making sure they are “nice and clean” for his next match.
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