MUMPS ALERT

Warning: Mumps Alert

Doctors insurgery and clinic are advising please be aware that there is Mumps around. Over the last 17 days I have seen mumps in boys who have all previously received MMR (measles, mumps & rubella) vaccine; some (not all) boys have been in Gateshead where there have been mumps starting five months ago. Mumps is a highly contagious infection, and people who are infected are most contagious for 1-2 days before the onset of symptoms and for five days afterwards, so please be aware to reduce community spread.

INFECTION: Mumps is a highly contagious viral infection that usually affects children, teenagers and young adults. The most common symptom of mumps is a swelling of the parotid glands located both sides of the face, but in my experience usually appears prominently on one side (called unilateral).

INCUBATION: How long does it take to show signs of mumps after being exposed? The incubation period of mumps is 14-18 days, but can range from 14-25 days. In my experience incubation period is usually three weeks.

IMMUNITY: Once a person has had mumps, they will usually develop immunity against further mumps infections. Before the introduction of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine in 1988, mumps was a common childhood infection that was responsible for 1,200 hospital admissions a year in England and Wales. After the MMR vaccine was introduced as part of the routine childhood vaccination programme, the number of mumps cases fell sharply, with less than a 100 cases reported in 1996.

EPIDEMIC: However, in recent years, there has been an upsurge in the incidence of mumps, and in 2005, there was a mumps epidemic that resulted in over 43,000 cases in England and Wales. Most cases affected teenagers and young adults.

SPREAD: The mumps virus is spread in the same way that the common cold and the flu viruses are spread. The mumps virus is airborne which means that it can survive for a short period of time in the outside environment. Therefore, mumps can be spread through: direct contact - for example, if you sneeze, or cough, tiny droplets of fluid containing the mumps virus are launched into the air and can be breathed by others, and indirect contact - for example, if infected droplets are transferred to an object, such as a door handle, and someone else touches it, they may catch the mumps if they then touch their mouth or nose.

PREVENTION: The most effective way to prevent catching mumps is to have the MMR vaccine which is thought to be 95% effective in providing protection against the mumps.

OUTLOOK: The outlook for young children with mumps is generally good because the symptoms should pass within two weeks without causing any long-term problems.

TREATMENT: As there is currently no cure for mumps, treatment is aimed at providing relief from the symptoms and preventing the further spread of infection.

ADVICE: Mumps is a highly contagious infection, and people who are infected are most contagious for 1-2 days before the onset of symptoms and for five days afterwards, so please be aware to reduce community spread. During this time, it is important to prevent spreading the infection to others, particularly those with a high risk of developing complications such as: teenagers and young adults who have not been vaccinated and pregnant women.

CONTACT: Please contact your General Practitioner GP since mumps is a “Notifiable disease” specified under Public Health for the Health Protection Agency.

This information is not intended or understood to replace your general practitioner who you should contact for your medical advice and diagnosis.

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Written by Dr Martin Harris, Doctor and Mohel for Jewish Circumcision Clinic in London Bris Mila Brit Milah.
www.circumcisionlondon.co.uk

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Contact Dr Martin Harris