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%.
Mites of domestic animals
Compared to ticks and insects of domestic animals the parasitic mites are of limited importance as transmitters (vectors) of pathogenic organisms to domestic animals. Some mites are the intermediate host of parasitic worms, but not defined as vectors because they do not parasitize a host. For example, free living mites of the family Oribatidae ingest the eggs of "Moniezia expansa" tapeworm of sheep; the sheep then ingest the mites whilst grazing. "Dermanyssus gallinae" has been shown to transmit the virus causing St Louis encephalitis virus between chickens. (the main transmitters of this virus to humans are "Culex" mosquitoes). Various species of trombiculid mite transmit the bacterium "Orientia tsutsugamushi", the causative agent of scrub-typhus, a notorious disease of humans in South East Asia. "Leptotrombidium deliniense" is the most important of several species of mite transmitting this bacterium.