Number of Midwestern mumps cases climbs to 1,165

By Robert Franklin, Star Tribune

Last update: April 19, 2006 - 9:05 PM

The number of confirmed, suspected or probable cases of mumps in eight Midwestern states has risen to 1,165, including 815 in Iowa, federal authorities said Wednesday.

No deaths have been reported, but "we do expect more cases, absolutely," including some from other states, said Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. "We have a cycle of transmission, a conspicuous outbreak that seems to be extending further and further across communities at risk."

Minnesota has reported seven cases, most not related to the latest outbreak. Authorities are investigating another 39 suspected cases, up from 23 last week.

In the past week, the number has increased by more than 300 nationally and more than 200 in Iowa, partly because of a paperwork backup. The largest number of Iowa cases, 323, is in the Dubuque area, the Des Moines register reported.

Other cases have been reported in Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma.

It is the largest outbreak in more than 20 years, Gerberding said by telephone. And while many cases have been among college students, "we really can't predict . . . where the virus will go next or what other populations of people we need to be concerned about."

Those at risk include people who have never had mumps and have not had two vaccinations against it. The vaccination, used since 1967, doesn't work about 10 percent of the time, Gerberding said, but the outbreak is "a very sobering reminder of why vaccine coverage matters."

The CDC is making as many as 25,000 doses of a mumps-measles-rubella vaccine available to Iowa, and manufacturer Merck & Co. is donating another 25,000 doses.

"A lot of clinicians have never seen a case of mumps," she said, but in coming weeks they will be vaccinating health-care workers, college students and others against the disease.

Symptoms include swollen glands around the jaw, fever and headache, and the virus can lead to hearing loss, meningitis, encephalitis and testicular inflammation. About 20 percent of patients may not show symptoms, and others may not show them until they already have spread the disease. Robert Franklin • 612-673-4543

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