Parotid gland
Mumps is seen to be a common cause of parotid gland swelling - 85% of cases occur in children younger than 15 years. The disease is highly contagious and spreads by airborne droplets from salivary, nasal, and urinary secretions. Symptoms include oedema in the area, trismus as well as otalgia. The lesion tends to begin on one side of the face and eventually becomes bilateral. The transmission of the paramyxovirus is by contact with the infected persons saliva. Initial symptoms tend to be a headache and fever. Mumps is not fatal, however further complications can include swelling of the ovaries or the testes. Diagnosis of mumps is confirmed through viral serology, management of the condition includes hydration and good oral hygiene of the patient requiring excellent motivation. However, since the development of the mumps vaccine, given at the age of between 4–6 years, the incidence of this viral infection has greatly reduced. This vaccine has reduced the incidence by 99%.
Myrmecia regularis
"M. regularis" is a highly aggressive ant that will pursue any intruder to a distance of 1.8–2.7 metres (2–3 yards) if their nests are disturbed. Their stings are very painful and particularly powerful. In some cases, human victims of "M. regularis" bites have displayed an allergy to the venom. In a 2011 study which investigated the causes of ant sting anaphylaxis in Australia, 265 of the 376 human participants reacted to the sting of several "Myrmecia" species. Of these, nine serum samples taken from patients were IgE positive to the venom of "M. regularis". These ants are both diurnal and nocturnal, foraging on the trunks of "Eucalyptus" trees to feed on sap and nectar, or capturing small insects (such as caterpillars and ants in the genus "Camponotus" or subgenus "Orthocrema"). The larvae are carnivorous and exclusively feed on insects, either consuming small portions of the insect or all of it. Unlike most "Myrmecia" species, trophallaxis takes place among adults or between adults and larvae. All stages of the frog "Metacrinia nichollsi" are known to dwell inside "M. regularis" colonies, where they use several galleries constructed by the ants. The parasitic ant "M. inquilina" may attempt to enter "M. regularis" nests to establish colonies, but "M. inquilina" queens may be seized and killed as soon as the two species come into contact.