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Mumps Outbreak

Tuesday, 16 December 2014 05:39

Sidney Crosby is one of more than a dozen NHL players to come down with mumps.

A mumps outbreak in the NHL has Public Health reminding residents to keep immunizations updated.

OXFORD COUNTY - With more than a dozen NHL players coming down with mumps, it's a good reminder to update your immunization card.

Supervisor in Health Protection, Joanne Andrews says there is no cure for this disease. "Mumps is a disease that causes inflammation of the parotid gland, so that's the gland that's just at the back of the jaw line. That gland gets very swollen and painful. It is a disease that's spread through saliva so it can be transmitted from person to person through sneezing or coughing." Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, loss of appetite or parotitis - painful swelling of one or both salivary glands.

Andrews says symptoms usually last ten days. Mumps can cause meningitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord with headache or a stiff neck), orchitis (swelling of one or both testicles), oophoritis (swelling of the ovaries), mastitis (swelling of the breasts), pancreatitis and deafness (may be permanent). Spontaneous abortion can occur if infection happens in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Andrews says there is no treatment for the mumps so in order to avoid getting it you will need to get the vaccine before exposure."The best way to avoid getting the mumps is getting the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. That is usually given in childhood. The first dose is given just after a child turns one year of age and then the second dose is given before they start school so somewhere between 4-6 years of age."

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