Manitoba health officials have reported 1,268 confirmed cases of mumps since Sep. 2016 and more than 1,000 cases in 2017 alone. This is a huge difference from the five or less cases reported in a year.
While the number of cases reported monthly remains abnormally high, there are signs of some decline in cases in the region.
According to a local media report last week:
The rate of reported infections in the region declined in September after three consecutive months when nearly 100 new cases were reported.
“For September, it looked like we had 62 cases in the north, which was down from 97 in August,” said Dr. Michael Isaac, chief medical officer for the Northern Health Region (NHR).
While initially the majority of cases were University students between 18 to 29 years of age, living in Winnipeg, or involved with or participate in sports, mumps cases are now being seen in all ages and throughout Manitoba.
In an effort to create awareness of mumps in schools, Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living (MHSAL) sent letters to schools in October describing how to recognize its symptoms, how to prevent its spread, and what to do if they suspect they or someone they were in contact with may be infected with mumps.
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