Mumps outbreak reported on Oahu

HONOLULU — The Hawaii Department of Health has taken notice after two outbreaks of mumps on Oahu, both occurring since March and involving at least nine people total, bumped the number of confirmed cases in Hawaii to 14 this year.

Because of the nature of the virus, department officials said in an HDOH release they expect that number to rise. None of the 14 confirmed cases have yet necessitated hospitalization.

“Health care providers have been notified, and because this disease is easily spread, we expect additional cases to be reported in the coming weeks,” Dr. Sarah Park, state epidemiologist, said in the release.

“There is no specific treatment for mumps infection and while most people will recover completely, mumps can occasionally cause complications, especially in adults,” she added. “Cases have been reported in vaccinated individuals, but vaccination is still the best protection against this disease. We encourage everyone to review their immunization record and talk to their health care provider about mumps vaccination.”

The vaccine, known as MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), is not a guaranteed protection against mumps. The release noted that two doses of the MMR vaccine protect against mumps with 88 percent efficiency, while one dose has an effectiveness rate of 78 percent.

Parotitis, which results in swollen salivary glands around the jaw, is one of the most common symptoms of mumps. Other symptoms include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, headaches and general muscle aches. Not all who contract the disease will present symptoms.

The release notes the days prior to and immediately following presentation of parotitis is the most contagious stage of the disease. Mumps can be spread in a variety of ways from sharing food and eating utensils to coughing to coming into contact with every day, inanimate objects or surfaces contaminated by germs from an infected person.