More confirmed mumps cases in Medicine Hat and Edmonton

By Gillian Slade on March 8, 2017.

gslade@medicinehatnews.com @MHNGillianSlade

The number of confirmed cases of mumps has increased in the last few days and now stands at 27, with 11 in Medicine Hat, 13 in Edmonton and three in Calgary.

This represents a recent increase of two in Medicine Hat and another four in Edmonton.

The first couple cases of mumps in this region, identified in the middle of February, were within the Medicine Hat Tigers organization.

Someone can be infectious for up to seven days before they develop symptoms, making it hard to contain an outbreak, said Dr. Vivien Suttorp, south zone medical officer of health Alberta Health Services (AHS).

When the first cases of mumps were diagnosed Suttorp warned that the numbers were likely to grow as those exposed would take time to develop symptoms.

Mumps is spread through droplets. You have to share saliva with somebody and this would include sharing a bottle or sandwich or someone sneezing on you, said Suttorp. It can take 15 to 25 days for symptoms to develop. These may include fatigue, headache, a low-grade fever and then gland swelling under the chin and corner of the jaw. The gland swelling, on one side of the face or both, is the common hallmark feature and it can hurt.

If you develop symptoms stay home, call Health Link 811 or your family doctor, said Suttorp.

Measures to contain the spread of mumps included AHS sending letters to local schools advising them of the outbreak and advising them of early symptoms to watch for.

A measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is given to babies between 12 and 24 months of age and followed with a booster shot when the child is between the age of four and six, said Suttorp.

In 2007-08 there was a large outbreak primarily in the young and post-secondary population, said Suttorp. Those affected had only had one dose of the vaccine.

In 2015 there were four confirmed cases in the province and eight in 2016. There were no confirmed cases in the south zone during these years.

Suttorp would like parents to check the vaccination records of children to ensure they were immunized and also given the booster shot.