[DIV class=head2]Mumps cases multiply in Missouri, Illinois
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[DIV class=byLine]04/17/2006
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The number of reported mumps cases rose in Missouri and Illinois over the weekend. The most dramatic rise was in Missouri, where the number of cases jumped to 17 from 5. In Illinois, cases climbed to 79 from 72. None of the cases was in the St. Louis area. [SCRIPT language=DOH!script] [!-- // begin DisplayAds("Frame1","",""); // --] [/SCRIPT] [SCRIPT language=DOH!Script1.1 src="http://OAS-Central.RealMedia.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/www.stltoday.com/news/sciencemedicine/1904277589@Frame1" type=text/XXXXscript][/SCRIPT] [A href="http://oas-central.realmedia.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.stltoday.com/news/sciencemedicine/1420122034/Frame1/default/empty.gif/31383662336232643433653765613730?" target=_top][img height=2 alt="" src="http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/800/1129/0/oascentral-s.realmedia.com/RealMedia/ads/Creatives/default/empty.gif" width=2 border=0][/A] "You would think with the larger population and the airport, there would be cases in the St. Louis area," said Brian Quinn, a spokesman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. "It's probably only a matter of time." The mumps epidemic began in December in Iowa and has mushroomed to more than 600 cases in that state alone. Iowa health officials usually see only 5 to 10 cases a year. The outbreak has since spilled into eight neighboring states, which have reported more than 200 additional cases. Mumps is a viral infection spread by sneezing, coughing and sharing cups or other objects that have been in contact with saliva. Symptoms can include fever, weakness, headache, muscle pain and swelling of glands close to the jaw. About 20 percent of cases don't show symptoms. Complications can include deafness, swelling of the brain and swelling of the ovaries in women and testes in men. A vaccine introduced in 1967 is about 95 percent effective. So far, Missouri cases have been reported in the north, west and northwest parts of the state, closer to Iowa, where the epidemic is centered, and Kansas, which also had been hard hit. Most of the Illinois cases have clustered in the northern part of the state, mainly near the Iowa border. However, cases have been reported recently in Clinton, Franklin, Jackson, Randolph, Washington and Williamson counties in the southern part of the state. No new counties are involved in the updated report, said Melaney Arnold, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health. Both state health departments recently sent health alerts informing the public to check vaccination records and to be diligent about good hygiene, particularly frequent handwashing. The agencies also reminded health professionals to consider measles when diagnosing illnesses. Quinn said the increase over the weekend was largely due to a lag in data entry and report submission from local public health agencies across the state. Another possible contributor to the increase was an expanded working definition of mumps recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC has said a case with symptoms suggestive of mumps should be considered "probable mumps," even if lab results indicate it is negative, because vaccination earlier life can distort test results.
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