Health : Health Officials Warned Public of Mumps Outbreak in LA

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) declared a mumps outbreak after over 40 patients—mostly gay men and unvaccinated—were reported to have contracted the disease.

DPH identified crowded environment and huge venues such as athletic clubs, bars, theaters, and nightclubs as possible areas of transmission of mumps infection. Caused by a virus, mumps can easily spread through “contact with airborne respiratory secretions or saliva or through fomites.” It can be transmitted through coughs or sneezes, and saliva exchange which can happen through kissing, sharing utensils, cups, lipstick, or cigarettes.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), signs and symptoms include fever that lasts for a few days accompanied by headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite, followed by swollen salivary glands. For prevention, getting measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine which protects you from measles, mumps, and rubella is recommended.

Health officials released the warning last Thursday, June 1, 2017 saying that mumps is highly infectious and mumps patients are contagious “from two days before through five days after onset of parotitis.” Parotitis is the inflammation of the salivary glands which, according to CDC is “what causes the puffy cheeks and a tender, swollen jaw.”

CDC cited complications as follows: orchitis (inflammation of the testicles in adult males),    encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), meningitis (inflammation of the tissue covering the brain and spinal cord), oophoritis (inflammation of the ovaries), mastitis (breast tissue), and     deafness. So if you suspect you may have mumps, it is important that you inform your doctor and set for an appointment as soon as possible. Suspected mumps cases are advised to wear a mask while patients must stay at home for “five days after the onset of parotid swelling.”

Health officials in Massachusetts and Hawaii have also warned the public of mumps outbreak last Friday as there have been 12 cases reported in Massachusetts since March and 81 cases in Hawaii this 2017. Last month, Washington Times reported that there are mumps cases in 42 states as well as the District of Columbia. States with over 300 cases reported since January included Missouri, Arkansas, and Washington.

For more information on the mumps health alert in LA, you may read the entire warning here. Want to learn more about mumps? Click here.