Wednesday, March 17, 2010
CDC Warns That Mumps May Spread
Experts are warning that an outbreak of mumps that has already sickened thousands in the Orthodox community could spread further this Passover.
The outbreak, which first appeared last June, has been largely confined to Hasidic populations in Brooklyn, Orange and Rockland counties in New York, and parts of New Jersey. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has mounted a campaign to warn community members and health-care providers that the virus could reach new geographic areas as families gather for holiday celebrations.
“We’re concerned that with travel, there’s a potential for introduction into other Hasidic communities that aren’t currently experiencing outbreaks,” said Dr. Kathleen Gallagher, an epidemiologist at the CDC.
As of March 12, Gallagher said that 2,687 people had been sickened. According to the CDC, the median age of the patients has been 15, and most of the victims have been male. There have been no deaths attributed to the outbreak, but some patients have experienced severe complications, such as orchitis, or testicular swelling, and pancreatitis, and there have been at least two cases of aseptic meningitis.
The MMR vaccine, which protects against mumps as well as measles and rubella, is given to most Americans in two doses before they begin kindergarten. A high percentage of those infected in the recent outbreak did receive two doses as children.
“We know the mumps vaccine is probably 85 or 90% effective when two doses are given, but it’s not a perfect vaccine,” Gallagher said. “In a situation where the force of infection might be quite high, it’s just possible that you’re seeing these breakthrough infections that the vaccine isn’t able to protect against.”
A CDC report suggested that the large family size and relative isolation of the Hasidic community might be contributing to the outbreak. The report cites Census data demonstrating that the average household size in the communities affected by the outbreak is more than double the national average, which could contribute to the transmission of the disease.
http://www.forward.com/articles/126682/
The outbreak, which first appeared last June, has been largely confined to Hasidic populations in Brooklyn, Orange and Rockland counties in New York, and parts of New Jersey. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has mounted a campaign to warn community members and health-care providers that the virus could reach new geographic areas as families gather for holiday celebrations.
“We’re concerned that with travel, there’s a potential for introduction into other Hasidic communities that aren’t currently experiencing outbreaks,” said Dr. Kathleen Gallagher, an epidemiologist at the CDC.
As of March 12, Gallagher said that 2,687 people had been sickened. According to the CDC, the median age of the patients has been 15, and most of the victims have been male. There have been no deaths attributed to the outbreak, but some patients have experienced severe complications, such as orchitis, or testicular swelling, and pancreatitis, and there have been at least two cases of aseptic meningitis.
The MMR vaccine, which protects against mumps as well as measles and rubella, is given to most Americans in two doses before they begin kindergarten. A high percentage of those infected in the recent outbreak did receive two doses as children.
“We know the mumps vaccine is probably 85 or 90% effective when two doses are given, but it’s not a perfect vaccine,” Gallagher said. “In a situation where the force of infection might be quite high, it’s just possible that you’re seeing these breakthrough infections that the vaccine isn’t able to protect against.”
A CDC report suggested that the large family size and relative isolation of the Hasidic community might be contributing to the outbreak. The report cites Census data demonstrating that the average household size in the communities affected by the outbreak is more than double the national average, which could contribute to the transmission of the disease.
http://www.forward.com/articles/126682/
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