Mumps outbreak worsens
“The party scene in Whistler puts young adults at considerable risk for spreading the mumps infection,” says Public Health Nurse Sonja Prevost. “People are sharing drinks and cigarettes, and shouting to each other over loud music in bars. While any unimmunized or under-immunized person is susceptible to infection with mumps, we are seeing the majority of new infections spread among our young adult population who may share accommodations with 10 or more people in some cases.”
The mumps is contagious and spreads easily and Sonja is certainly seeing this on the frontlines at the Whistler Health Care Centre. Mumps is spread by contact with saliva or mucus from the mouth, nose, or throat of an infected person. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, the virus spreads through droplets in the air. You can be exposed to the virus even if you are two meters away from someone with mumps. Sharing food, drinks or cigarettes, or kissing someone who has the virus can also put you at risk.
The number of people with mumps in the VCH region has grown to 41 with the illness now reported in Whistler, Squamish, Vancouver and North Vancouver.
“The average age of patients in this mumps outbreak is 33,” says Dr. Althea Hayden, medical health officer. “Due to their age, most of those infected with mumps likely only had one dose of mumps vaccine and so were not fully protected against the disease. That’s why we are encouraging everyone between the ages of 22 and 46, if you aren’t sure you’ve had two doses to get a second dose of the vaccine so that they are fully protected.”
Advice for your patients/clients
- For people born after January 1, 1970, two doses of mumps-containing vaccine are required
- For people born before 1970 or if they have had mumps infection, they are considered protected from natural infection.
Mumps vaccine is usually given as MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella). Since a second dose of MMR was not added to routine vaccination schedule in B.C. until 1996, many adults born between 1970 and 1996 are not fully protected. If people are not sure they have complete protection, it is safe to receive another dose of MMR vaccine.
MMR vaccine is available for free from public health units, pharmacists, family doctors and most walk-in clinics.
Mumps symptoms
Mumps is a viral illness causing fever and swelling of the salivary glands in the face, which are located below the jaw and ears and under the tongue. Not everyone infected with mumps will have salivary gland swelling. Complications can occur as a result of mumps infections including swelling of the testes in adult males and swelling of the ovaries in adult females, although sterility is a rare outcome. Rare complications include inflammation of the brain (meningitis) and temporary but often permanent deafness.
More info
For more information visit the HealthLinkBC site.