Mumps is most often diagnosed by a history of exposure to the disease and the presence of symptoms. Swelling and tenderness of the salivary glands, especially the parotid glands, is a common symptom to spot.

If needed, a blood test can be done to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other illnesses. This test measures the level of antibodies the body has developed against the mumps virus.

The mumps virus itself can be identified with a viral culture of a sample of urine, saliva, or cerebrospinal fluid obtained by a lumbar puncture. These tests are rarely done.