CDC: Largest Outbreak of Mumps Since 2006 in New York, New Jersey

February 10, 2010

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Submitted by Reynolds RD on Feb 10th, 2010

More than 1,000 people in New York and New Jersey, many of them adolescent

Orthodox Jews, have been sickened with mumps since August of last year. The

outbreak began at a summer camp for boys in Sullivan, NY, according to the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Orange County NY has the greatest number of cases. Almost 500 have been

confirmed since early November. Neighboring Rockland County has 317 confirmed

cases. In New York City, 79 cases have been documented in Brooklyn. Another 159

had spread to Ocean County, NJ. The CDC expects to announce more cases this

week.

The cases have been linked back to an 11-year-old boy who was at the camp. He

had recently returned from the United Kingdom, where a mumps outbreak had spread

to 4,000 people. Approximately 25 of the children were his bunk-mates, who then

brought the virus home to their communities.

Mumps is a contagious viral disease that leads to a painful swelling of the

salivary glands. Symptoms include face pain, fever, headache, sore throat, and

swelling of the face, particularly the temples or jaw. In males, additional

symptoms can include scrotal swelling or a painful lump in the testicles. Once

contracted, there is no specific treatment for mumps except for pain relief.

Mumps most commonly occurs in children ages 2 to 12 who have not been

vaccinated, however the infection can occur at any age. The MMR vaccine –

protecting against measles, mumps and rubella – is given twice in childhood. The

first is given between 12 and 15 months of age. The second vaccine is generally

give between the ages of 4 and 6.

The CDC states that about 75% of the children in this most recent mumps outbreak

were vaccinated appropriately. However, the vaccine is not 100% effective.

According to Dr. Jane Zucker, assistant commissioner of immunization, " We know

that approximately one in every 20 people who are vaccinated may not develop

antibodies. "

Recently, the MMR vaccination has been in the news due to the retraction by the

journal Lancet that previously implicated the vaccine as a potential cause of

autism. Some parents choose not to vaccinate children for this reason. Writing

for the Jewish Action Online, a magazine of the Orthodox Union, Dr. Reichman, an

associate professor of emergency medicine, philosophy and history of medicine at

the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, says that parents

in the Orthodox Jewish community are no more or less likely to avoid the MMR

vaccination for their children.

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