The officials at the Alachua County Health Department has warned about an unusual mumps outbreak near the University of Florida. Spokesperson Paul Myers said that at least 12 cases of the mumps have been reported to the health department.
Although the numbers may seem small, the officials said the baseline of Alachua County is between 0 and 2, increasing the baseline up to 500%.
That number may seem small, but the department said the county’s baseline is between 0 and 2 cases; making this about a 500 percent increase. Myers noted that mumps cases are easily traced in this outbreak.
He said, “This is an outbreak between a very close-knit group of individuals. They probably shared utensils, they may have shared drinking vessels.”
The University of Florida has confirmed that they have 10 to 12 mumps cases reported among the students at their Gainesville campus.
The university spokesman Steve Orlando said, “We’re currently in the process of reaching out to students to communicate to them through emails and social media to let them know about this.”
Although the county rarely sees a mumps outbreak, Myers is a bit concerned that this situation is more unusual because the patients have been vaccinated. He said, “These things do happen; it’s a phenomenon that’s not completely understood.”
The CDC explained that it is quite rare for some people to catch mumps if they are already vaccinated; however, they experience symptoms that are less serious.
“The mumps is now considered very rare with fewer than 20,000 cases per year in the US,” said the Mayo Clinic. Its website says mumps rates have dropped dramatically – thanks to the MMR (Measles-Mumps-Rubella) vaccine.
However, the CDC said that there have been mumps cases reported throughout the country. Myers noted that the decline in vaccination rates in Alachua County and elsewhere is making such outbreaks more concerning.
Mumps is a contagious disease characterized by flu-like symptoms along with swollen, puffy cheeks. Health officials say the infection tends to pass through patients with time; however, the infection could lead to serious complications in some patients. Myers concluded, “Check your vaccination status; make sure you’re vaccinated. It’s a safe vaccine, it’s an effective vaccine even though we have this outbreak in a group of vaccinated individuals.”
