[Etiology of epidemic parotitis].

Blood samples of 204 acute parotitis patients in a fifteen month period (1991-1992) were systematically examined for IgM, IgA, IgG antibodies of mumps and parainfluenza-virus 1, 2, 3 (PIV) by immunofluorescent test (IFT) and, in special cases several other virological examinations have been done. The etiological role of mumps-virus, parainfluenza-virus 1, 2, 3, one of the other viruses was confirmed in 76.0%, 1.5%, 6.3%, 1.5%, 4.9% of the cases, respectively. The etiology remained unknown in 9.8%. There were clinical symptoms of meningitis or orchitis in some and lymphadenopathy in several of the parainfluenza-virus caused parotitis patients. The authors conclude, that the parainfluenza-viruses are the second most frequent etiological agents of parotitis next to mumps-virus. They found that the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) also play etiological role in parotitis. This observation should be confirmed in the future by some other kind of virological tool too. The authors call attention to the difficulties and pitfalls of the virological serology in the infections caused by paramyxoviruses (PMV).