Source of Mumps Outbreak Unknown

Between January and April, more than 600 possible mumps cases were reported in the Midwestern United States. The source of the outbreak and why it has spread in such large numbers is unknown. “The Air Force has not seen an increase in cases of mumps … but we have increased our efforts to identify new cases in the face of the outbreak,” said Col. Thomas Stedman, commander of the Air Force’s 59th Medical Wing public health flight at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Mumps is a viral infection of the salivary glands in the cheeks, which can cause fever, swelling of the cheeks and respiratory symptoms. Though the disease is rarely fatal, it often requires several days of home care and possibly hospitalization, he said. Medical treatment facilities should report any new laboratory-confirmed cases of mumps through their service-specific system and to local public health officials.