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Mumps in Washington State (posted 6/21/06)

The Washington State Department of Health has received reports of 4 confirmed cases of mumps in Washington this year.  The first two cases (King County) were identified in early February and were related to international travel.  The other two cases (Whatcom County) were identified in April/May as a result of increased surveillance and testing in Washington state in response to the mumps outbreak in the Midwest.  Neither of these persons had traveled, nor did they have any link to the mumps outbreak in the Midwest.  To date, there has been no known transmission of mumps to another person from either case.

Local health jurisdictions in Washington state should contact Chas DeBolt, Communicable Disease Epidemiology Section (206-418-5500), to report mumps cases, to discuss collection of appropriate specimens, and to arrange for testing of persons presenting with parotitis that are suspected to have mumps. 

Mumps Testing at Washington State Public Health Laboratory (originally posted 6/16/06)

The Washington State Public Health Laboratory is currently offering the following tests to assist in the diagnosis of mumps:

• real-time RT-PCR assay for the detection of mumps virus, and
• tissue culture for mumps virus  

Local health jurisdictions in Washington state should contact Chas DeBolt, Communicable Disease Epidemiology Section (206-418-5500), to report mumps cases, to discuss collection of appropriate specimens, and to arrange for testing of persons presenting with parotitis that are suspected to have mumps. 

Updated ACIP recommendations for mumps immunization and determination of immunity are available on CDC's website:  http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5522a4.htm

Mumps Outbreak in Midwest (originally posted 4/20/06)

On April 14 CDC issued a health advisory related to a multi-state outbreak of mumps.  To date, no cases related to this outbreak have been seen in Washington state.

Nine states in the Midwest are experiencing an outbreak of mumps that began in Iowa and has spread to Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. 

Cases being reported in the multi-state outbreak include confirmed, probable, and suspect cases.  At this point, although the outbreak in Iowa started on college campuses, only 1/4 of the Iowa cases to date are college students.  The persons reported as cases in Iowa and surrounding states range in age from 2 to 95 years in age.  Last week, Iowa was reporting that 68% of the persons reported as suspect, probable and confirmed cases gave a history of having had 2 MMR's, but it is important to reiterate that many of these persons have not had classic mumps symptoms. 

The Communicable Disease Epidemiology Section of the Washington State Department of Health will facilitate testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for any persons who:

• meet the clinical case definition for mumps which is: "an illness characterized by acute onset of unilateral or bilateral tender, self-limited swelling of the parotid or other salivary gland lasting 2 or more days, and without other apparent cause (as reported by a health professional)"

and for whom

• the index of suspicion is high.  Recent travel either internationally or to the states where the outbreak is occurring, or known contact with another individual with parotitis, would raise the index of suspicion.

For each person that meets the above criteria we are requesting submission of all of the following specimens, if possible:

• serum

• urine

• a buccal specimen

The urine and buccal specimens are collected in for the purpose of viral isolation, but will also be tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).  Clinical information to submit with the specimens must include demographics, immunization history, date of onset of parotitis.  Information about laboratory tests used in the diagnosis of mumps and a full list of reporting information and variables to include can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/mumps/default.htm .

Many bacteria as well as several viruses are known to cause parotitis.  If mumps testing is desired by a health care provider on persons with parotitis but for whom the suspicion of mumps is not high, it can be done through a commercial laboratory that does serologic testing for mumps.  (Once parotitis is present, both IgM and IgG for mumps-specific antibody should be ordered.)  If the commercial results indicate recent mumps infection, we will recommend that the LHJ retrieve the serum sample so that it can be sent for confirmation at the CDC laboratory. 

Health jurisdictions in Washington state should contact Chas DeBolt, Communicable Disease Epidemiology Section (206-418-5500), to report mumps cases and/or to request testing.

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Washington State Department of Health
Communicable Disease Epidemiology
1610 N.E. 150th Street
Shoreline, WA 98155
Phone (206) 418-5500
FAX (206) 418-5515
24-hour contact 1-877-539-4344
 

Last Update : 05/21/2009 06:35 PM
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