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Mumps virus: IgM antibodies to mumps virus in blood
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 05.07.2025
IgM antibodies to the mumps virus are normally absent in the blood serum.
The causative agent of epidemic parotitis is classified as a myxovirus. Children aged 3-10 years are most often affected by epidemic parotitis. The main method of laboratory diagnostics of epidemic parotitis is the detection of IgM antibodies to the mumps virus in the blood serum.
Children under 2 years of age rarely suffer from epidemic mumps, but then the incidence increases and reaches a peak at 5-9 years. Diagnosis of epidemic mumps is based on the clinical picture of the disease. Serological confirmation of acute infection can be obtained using ELISA, which allows determining IgM antibodies. IgM antibodies to the mumps virus appear in the acute period of infection (on the 2nd day of the disease, they are detected in 70% of patients, by the 5th day - in 100%) and persist for up to 2 years (in 50% of patients - more than 5 months). Detection of IgM antibodies in the blood serum or an increase in the IgG antibody titer in paired sera by more than 4 times (sensitivity 88%) indicates a current infection.
The CSC has lower sensitivity and specificity. To confirm the diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct an analysis of paired sera. An increase in titers during the disease by 4 times or more is considered diagnostic. In a single study, the diagnostic titer is 1:80 or higher.