Cities In Washington State Are Still Battling Mumps Outbreak

Cities in the state of Washington are still battling mumps outbreak. Health authorities have found more cases in Spokane and King County since the outbreak started October last year and has infected around 300 people.

The mumps were found in five counties in Washington according to CNN. The counties which have confirmed and probable cases are King, Spokane, Yakima, Sohomish and Pierce. According to health authority, there are around 278 cases were found in those counties.

Mumps is a contagious disease which made the people infected to suffer a swelling of salivary gland which is preceded by fever, muscle pain and headache. The disease is caused by virus which can be transferred from one person to another through saliva and mucus. Mumps virus can also cause meningitis and other brain infection along with swelling in ovaries and testicles.

The cases found in Spokane were reported to increase from previous findings and infected four districts in the city. While in the state of Washington, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported there are a 228 cases of mumps in the United States in January. This is the highest case of mumps in a decade.

According to ABC News, at least 94 cases were found in Spokane. While in King County, there have been 166 likely cases. Around two-third of those cases were vaccinated according to the health authorities in respective counties.

In order to prevent the mumps, CDC recommends the MMR vaccine to be administered. The vaccine also protects from rubella, measles, and varicella (chickenpox). However, the vaccine does not guarantee full protection against the disease but it increase the immunity against the virus.

One dose of vaccine gives 78 percent of protection, while the full two doses of vaccine protects 88 percent from the infection. CDC recommends children to receive two doses of the MMR vaccine. Since 1967, US had a the U.S. mumps vaccination program which is able to reduce 99 percent of the mumps in the United States within three years after the program started.

Watch the report from FOX News, regarding treatment and prevention of mumps below:

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Mumps outbreak, Washington State, Mumps Spokane, Mumps vaccine

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