I remember having the mumps as a KID OUCH!!!!!!!
The Minnesota Health Department has alerted doctors across the state to watch for cases of mumps after a school teacher and a bus driver in the Twin Cities came down with the disease.
Most children have been vaccinated against the viral illness, which causes painful swelling of the salivary glands. Each year, a handful of people who lack protection get mumps in Minnesota.
The alert said one of the ill adults was a 48-year-old man. A second adult, a 57-year-old woman, became ill after being exposed to the man. Neither apparently had been vaccinated. The bus driver did not drive a school bus. The name of the school where the teacher worked has not been released.
The department said that because of the two adults' professions "a large group of people may have been exposed. Although those vaccinated have a low risk of becoming infected with mumps, there are those that are not protected by the vaccine or natural immunity for various reasons."
Mumps can be spread by airborne droplets or contact with anything contaminated by infected saliva. Only the symptoms can be treated, but most people recover completely. People who have been vaccinated or have had the disease in the past have protection.
"It is a reminder that kids should be vaccinated," said Health Department spokesman Doug Schultz.
Schultz said health clinics were alerted so that doctors can be on the lookout for symptoms and test for the disease. Symptoms include swollen glands in the neck, fever, headaches and earaches. All mumps cases are required to be reported to the Health Department.
David Shaffer 612-673-7090
http://www.startribune.com/stories/1244/5755377.html
The Minnesota Health Department has alerted doctors across the state to watch for cases of mumps after a school teacher and a bus driver in the Twin Cities came down with the disease.
Most children have been vaccinated against the viral illness, which causes painful swelling of the salivary glands. Each year, a handful of people who lack protection get mumps in Minnesota.
The alert said one of the ill adults was a 48-year-old man. A second adult, a 57-year-old woman, became ill after being exposed to the man. Neither apparently had been vaccinated. The bus driver did not drive a school bus. The name of the school where the teacher worked has not been released.
The department said that because of the two adults' professions "a large group of people may have been exposed. Although those vaccinated have a low risk of becoming infected with mumps, there are those that are not protected by the vaccine or natural immunity for various reasons."
Mumps can be spread by airborne droplets or contact with anything contaminated by infected saliva. Only the symptoms can be treated, but most people recover completely. People who have been vaccinated or have had the disease in the past have protection.
"It is a reminder that kids should be vaccinated," said Health Department spokesman Doug Schultz.
Schultz said health clinics were alerted so that doctors can be on the lookout for symptoms and test for the disease. Symptoms include swollen glands in the neck, fever, headaches and earaches. All mumps cases are required to be reported to the Health Department.
David Shaffer 612-673-7090
http://www.startribune.com/stories/1244/5755377.html
