A MAN whose life was at risk after contracting mumps is out of danger. The 22-year-old, was rushed to the Great Western Hospital on Friday morning when the mumps virus had spread to his brain.

This is something that happens in just five per cent of cases.

As we reported in the Advertiser on Saturday, the 22-year-old was rushed to hospital after being violently sick.

His father, who has asked for us not to name his son because of his condition, said: "He is in hospital, he's in the right place.

"He's still uncomfortable and he's still feeling sick with a high temperature. The swelling is still there. He's not well but he is on the mend."

The estate agent first started feeling unwell on Wednesday evening, while watching the Liverpool match.

Despite feeling worse, he went to work as normal Thursday morning.

But by the time he got home his face had started to swell up and he did not want to eat or drink.

Fearing his son's condition was serious, his father telephoned NHS direct for advice.

By 5.30am the next morning he had started to be violently sick and his father called his son's doctor.

Dr Kandy Kandiah, of Sparcells Surgery, signed a letter for him to be taken straight to hospital.

He was given a bed immediately in the acute emergency ward as he was drifting in and out of consciousness.

The man's father does not know when his son will be well enough to leave hospital because they have to wait for his temperature to fall.

Dr Kandiah wants people to know that although it is rare, mumps can be life threatening if it causes swelling of the brain.

He said: "It's better for people to know it can be serious in some cases and can cause serious complications."

Swindon has seen an epidemic of the virus recently with 96 cases reported this year.

The problem is partly caused because many children aged around 15 and 16 did not have the MMR triple vaccine to combat measles, mumps and rubella because of parents' fears over side effects.

Dr Kandiah has some advice for people on how to spot the virus.

He said: "Normally it is like a flu like illness but it also causes swelling to both sides of the face.

"People also feel very lethargic, have headaches and vomit.

"The important thing to realise is that you don't get the swelling straight away."

He added: "Some men get testicular pain. In other cases it can cause inflammation of the brain, which is called encephalitis.

One out of 100 people die as a result of encephalitis. Some are left with long-term complications such as epilepsy, mental impairment and deafness.

Lyndsay Scanlan