Eleven cases of mumps have been confirmed in Greene County since December, the latest on Friday. An outbreak at the University of Missouri-Columbia has pushed Missouri to the number two spot just behind Arkansas in the number of mumps cases from January 1 to January 28.
And, according to the Springfield Public School District, five students have been diagnosed with the illness in the last few weeks.
Ashley Grajczyk, epidemiologist with the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, said that’s unusual.
"We had seen zero cases for the last several years on an annual basis, so, yes, this is somewhat of an anomaly right now in Greene County," she said.
According to Grajczyk, the majority of those with mumps in Greene County have either traveled to areas where there’s an outbreak of mumps or have had contact with those who have. Most of those who contracted the illness had been immunized against it. Grajczyk said the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine has an 88 percent effectiveness rate once an individual has had two doses of it.
The good news, she said, is that, even if someone who has been immunized contracts mumps, the illness is usually much milder because of the vaccine.
The health department urges you to stay home if you're sick, to get the MMR vaccine if you haven't already and to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze since mumps is an airborne illness.
Symptoms of mumps include puffy cheeks and a swollen neck, fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite. If you experience symptoms, contact your physician.
Learn more about mumps here.
