The Mexican Ministry of Health has reported an outbreak of mumps in the country, many affecting university students, with outbreaks reported in Mexico City, Sonora and Chihuahua, according to the National Epidemiological Surveillance System (SINAVE) (computer translated).
Through April 13, 2,619 cases of mumps have been reported in the country. The states with the highest number of cases are: Tamaulipas–561 (21%), Nuevo León with 302 (12%), Quintana Roo with 203 (8%), Jalisco with 189 (7%) and Chihuahua with 167 (6%).
The most affected age groups nationwide are adults from 25 to 44 years old, with 805 (31%), followed by the group of 20 to 24 years old with 531 (20%) and children from 5 to 9 years old, with 388 (15%).
Last year, Mexico reported a total of 4,653 cases of mumps.
Mumps: Why it’s seen a resurgence
Mumps is an acute infectious disease caused by the mumps virus. It is spread via coughing, sneezing, kissing, sharing glasses or utensils, and touching a surface that has the virus on it. Mumps is suspected when there is swelling of one or more of the saliva glands. The swelling may just be on one side, but is more commonly on both. Sometimes the glands under the tongue or jaw are affected also. Other possible symptoms of mumps include: fever, headache, earache, tiredness, sore muscles, dry mouth, poor appetite, and trouble talking, chewing, or swallowing.
Before the swelling occurs, flu-like symptoms appear in about half of those who get the virus. In children under 5, mumps can show up as a lung infection. Fever usually lasts 1-6 days but enlargement of the glands may go on for 10 days or longer. A few people may have little or no symptoms but can still spread the virus. When a person is exposed to mumps, it usually takes from 16 – 18 days for them to get sick, but it can range from 12 – 25 days. The virus is most contagious from 2 days before the swelling starts until 5 days after it goes away.
Waning vaccine-derived immunity linked to mumps re-emergence: Study
Globally, the World Health Organization has reported 585,315 cases of mumps in the present year through February 13, distributed as follows: Pacific West 57% (335,304), Africa 17% (100,576), East
Mediterranean 13% (75,680), Southeast Asia 5% (31,739), Europe 4% (20,874) and the Americas 3%
(21,142). The countries that have the largest number of reported cases are Japan 175,001 cases and China 159,031 cases.
