Number of Mumps Cases Swells Across Iowa

[Lone_Star_Dem]

By MELANIE S. WELTE
Associated Press Writer

A mumps epidemic is sweeping across Iowa in the biggest outbreak in the country, puzzling health officials and worrying parents.

As of Thursday, 245 confirmed, probable or suspected cases of mumps had been reported to the Iowa Department of Public Health since mid-January. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is the only major outbreak in the nation.

'We are calling this an epidemic, not just an outbreak,' said Iowa state epidemiologist Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, explaining that mumps has spread to more than one-third of the state and does not appear to be confined to certain age groups or other sectors of the population.

Quinlisk said Iowa has had about five cases of mumps a year in recent years, and this is the first large outbreak in nearly 20 years.
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In the article it says some people who have been vaccinated are still getting this fairly common strain of mumps. I'm not sure what to think when you have enough cases of a disease break out to call it an epidemic and you still say you have a working vaccine that is effective 95% of the time.

[bobbieinok]

1. what are the ages of the victims?????

[Lone_Star_Dem]

4. From the article

"mumps has spread to more than one-third of the state and does not appear to be confined to certain age groups or other sectors of the population."

My first thought was the vaccine had worn off and it was mainly hitting adults. The fact that it's all ages is what has me confused.

[SmokingJacket]

2. Lot of mumps among the Amish around here...

however, this looks like it came from England. Interesting!

[Ian David]

7. You know how you tell the difference between English and American Mumps?

English Mumps infects the left testicle.

Chinese Mumps are the worst. An hour after you're cured, you feel like getting The Mumps again.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

12. You are sooo bad

:spank: :)

[Lars39]

3. I've had 'em. Those poor kids.

My brother was 'fortunate' enough to have the mumps and chicken pox at the same time.
My mom thought he was going to die.

[MADem]

5. From the "OBVIOUS HEADLINES" collection!!

Number of Mumps Cases SWELLS--wow, I'll bet they stayed up half the night dreaming that one up, and then slapped their knee and chortled over their cleverness!!!

That said, it appears THIS is what has infected some of those rightwing crazies:

Mumps is a viral infection of the salivary glands. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches and swelling of the glands close to the jaw. It can cause serious complications, including meningitis, damage to the testicles and deafness.

I mean, really, they are brain damaged, worried about what everyone else does with their sex organs (perhaps because their own are damaged?), and they can't hear a reasoned argument if it is shouted two inches from their crusty ears!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. I laughed at the obviousness of the headline myself

I thought if I posted it more people would actually look at the article to see if I was the lame person who made it up. :)

You may be onto something in regards to the RW crazies.. :D :toast:

[hedgehog]

8. This makes you wonder who's checking up on the vaccines

It doesn't makes sense that all of a sudden there's a "new" strain of the mumps. There were companies this year selling saline solution as flu vaccine. It's possible that this scam has been going on for a long time with no one knowing about it. It'd be interesting to run some tests to see how many people really have been protected against measles/mumps/rubella. If you're thinking of getting pregnant, it might be good idea to request such a test since rubella can be devastating to an unborn child. Such tests were standard 20 years ago.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

10. Worse, they're saying that it's a common strain of the mumps

From the article:

"The vaccine certainly was made to cover this particular strain, because it's a fairly common strain of mumps.' Quinlisk said the vaccine overall is considered about 95 percent effective."

Yet people who have been vaccinated are catching it. :shrug:

[mtnester]

9. Um, I never had them as a child, should I be worried about this?

Female, not having any more kids as an FYI

The whole family had them, I stayed in the house, never got them but I remember my poor father who was about 26 at the time got them, and they...ahem..."settled". I think I even have pictures of my poor dad laying in only his underwear, sick (Mom took them..those young pups and their cameras back then)

[Lone_Star_Dem]

11. I doubt you should be worried

I wasn't trying to raise concern by posting this. I just wanted feel around to see if anyone wiser than myself could make sense of this.

[terryg11]

13. It's strange

I didn't even know about it until the community college I'm taking a few courses at sent home a letter about it a few weeks ago. My wife, who's a lab tech. already knew about it but failed to inform me. If I remember correctly, you are susceptible unless you had both mumps shots rather recently. Will have to ask wifey again when she gets home.

[bobbieinok]

14. ???? does mumps cause sterility in males?????

[Avalux]

15. Well, it is a virus and they do mutate. Three possible factors:

The virus has found a way around the vaccine; the vaccine given to those children was defective, or they never actually got the vaccine.

I'll be interested in seeing the epidimiological data.