Announcement

**Shiloh** · March 27, 2009, 07:53 AM

Re: UK: Concerns over campus mumps outbreak

Source: http://www.lep.co.uk/news/Worst-mump...r-a.5113862.jp

Friday, 27th March 2009
Worst mumps outbreak for a decade

Published Date:
27 March 2009
By Aasma Day, Health Reporter

A mumps outbreak at a Lancashire university is the worst for a decade.
Last week mass vaccinations were being offered at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston following an outbreak of the disease.

Health chiefs now say cases have almost doubled with the current total standing at 19.

Health and university bosses set up special MMR vaccination clinics for students following the spate of mumps cases.

Around 250 students have already taken up the jab and further clinics are planned.

Experts are urging students to take up the vaccination before the Easter break to prevent mumps cases spreading throughout their home communities.

All UCLan students have been sent an e-mail via the university's student services advising them about the outbreak and why students under 25 are most at risk.

The e-mail states: "The reason why students have a high risk of mumps is that most are too old to have been vaccinated. Students under 25 are most at risk."

The soaring mumps cases affecting university students are particularly worrying as they are spread across different courses all over the Preston campus and are not just confined to one course or group of young people.

Mumps causes swelling of the salivary glands in the neck. It can also cause swelling in other glands.

There is a risk of infertility in men and the most serious complication of mumps is meningitis, which in some cases can lead to permanent deafness.

Dr Ken Lamden, immunisation lead for the Health Protection Agency Cumbria and Lancashire, based in Preston, said: "This is a significant mumps outbreak and it is the largest number of mumps cases at UCLan for at least a decade.

"We have had a good response to our vaccination clinics and we would urge more students to take up the MMR vaccine."

**Shiloh** · April 1, 2009, 11:28 AM

Re: UK: Concerns over campus mumps outbreak

Source: http://www.chestereveningleader.co.u...mps.5130798.jp

Chester students alerted to mumps outbreak

Published Date: 01 April 2009
STUDENTS in and around Chester are being warned to contact their GPs following a serious outbreak of mumps within a nearby university population.

During the last three weeks there have been 33 confirmed cases at the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University, prompting fears that the highly contagious viral disease could soon spread to the Chester area.

In an attempt to prevent an outbreak, the University of Chester has issued letters to its students urging them to make sure they have received the necessary two MMR jabs to prevent infection.

Dr Roberto Vivancos, consultant in Communicable Disease Control with the Health Protection Agency's Cheshire and Merseyside Health Protection Unit, said: "It's worrying but perhaps not surprising that we are seeing so many cases of mumps in student populations, in Liverpool and elsewhere.

"The problem is that we have a large pool of teenagers and young adults who missed out on MMR vaccination when they were toddlers. Mumps is very infectious and it can spread rapidly when it gets into closed communities such as schools and university halls of residence where unprotected young people live and study together in close proximity.

"The average age of the reported cases in Liverpool is 20."
Dr Vivancos added: "Mumps should not be dismissed as a childhood illness.

"It can be very serious and it has a potential for serious side-effects, including viral meningitis, long-term hearing problems and painful swelling of the testicles in men and the ovaries in women.

"Students who don't know if they had full MMR vaccination when they were younger should ask their GP or practice nurse to check their records."

In the last three years there have been 64 cases of mumps diagnosed by GPs in the West Cheshire area. According to health experts, all of them could have been avoided if the required MMR vaccinations had been given.

A University of Chester spokesman said: "There are currently no confirmed outbreaks at the University of Chester. However as a precautionary measure, the University of Chester's Student Occupational Health, with support from the Health Protection Agency, have strongly recommended that students aged between 16 and 25 who have not had two MMR vaccinations, should attend their GP practice for vaccination.

"All appropriate measures to advise students about symptoms and vaccinations have been taken by the University's Student Occupational Health, Student Support and Guidance and the Students' Union."

Symptoms of mumps are painful inflammation and swelling of the salivary glands under one or both sides of the jaw, fever and headache.
For more information visit www.hpa.org.uk or www.immu nisation.nhs.uk.

**Shiloh** · April 3, 2009, 06:12 AM

Re: UK: Concerns over campus mumps outbreak

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...re/7980904.stm

Mumps 'epidemic' affects students

An epidemic of mumps has broken out in South Yorkshire with students at two universities bearing the brunt of the wave of illness.

Doctors at the South Yorkshire Health Protection Unit (HPU) has said 145 cases were reported in Sheffield in the first three months of 2009.

The outbreak started in the city in January and spread to students at Hallam University in February.

By March 75 cases had been reported at Sheffield University.

Dr Rosie McNaught from the HPU said there was no risk to the general population and that the outbreak was "self limiting".

She said: "We had a previous outbreak at the university where about 10% of the students ended up in hospital with complications, we have not seen that this time."

New vaccine

Ms McNaught said the introduction of the MMR vaccine was, in part, responsible for the outbreak in the students aged in their early 20s.

She said: "It's not that people were worried about the MMR vaccine, it's the fact that it was a new vaccine.

"When you look at our figures, the most common age at which people are getting mumps at the moment is 20.

"The 20-year-olds are the ones who were around at exactly the time when we changed over from the measles vaccine to the MMR vaccine."

Ms McNaught said a number of the students had measles vaccines as babies and there was a call-back programme to catch people up, but across the country it was "very patchy".

"A lot of these children had single measles vaccine, but weren't called back for the MMR.

"We've also got a number of these children who've had a single dose of MMR, but haven't had two doses.

"The mumps component of the MMR vaccine is the least effective, it only protects you about 70% of the time if you've had one dose, so you do need two doses to get decent levels of protection," she said.

**Shiloh** · April 3, 2009, 06:17 AM

Re: UK: Concerns over campus mumps outbreaks

Source: http://www.lep.co.uk/news/Mumps-outb...ing.5135209.jp

Mumps outbreak worsening
Published Date:
02 April 2009
By Aasma Day, Health Reporter

The worst mumps outbreak to hit the University of Central Lancashire in more than a decade has deepened.
There have now been 30 confirmed cases affecting students at the UCLan.

Health chiefs have been carrying out mass vaccinations at the Preston campus and are hoping the outbreak is under control.

Last week The Lancashire Evening Post reported how the mumps total at UCLan stood at 19, which health bosses described as "the worst outbreak in at least 10 years".

Health and university chiefs set up MMR vaccination clinics and around 430 students have now had the jab, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella.

Mumps is highly infectious and spreads through coughs and sneezes. It causes swelling of the salivary glands and can lead to complications including meningitis.

Dr Ken Lamden, from the Health Protection Agency, said: "There have now been 30 cases across the university and we are probably nearing the peak of the outbreak."

**Shiloh** · April 3, 2009, 07:56 AM

Re: UK: Concerns over campus mumps outbreaks

Source: http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/...ies.5140194.jp

Mumps outbreak at universities
Published Date: 03 April 2009

AN OUTBREAK of mumps has struck more than 140 students in Sheffield's universities in the last three months.

Students at Sheffield University and Sheffield Hallam University who have not been fully immunised have been offered the MMR vaccine to protect them from the condition.

Currently more than 70 students in Sheffield have mumps which can have potentially serious side effects including viral meningitis, long-term hearing
problems and painful swelling of the testicles in males and the ovaries in females

Dr Wendy Phillips, Consultant in communicable disease control at South Yorkshire Health Protection Unit, said: "We are aware of 71 cases of suspected mumps, 33 of which have been laboratory confirmed, currently affecting students in Sheffield.

"Mumps should not be treated lightly. It can be a severe disease. It's really important to be protected by having two doses of the MMR vaccine, which is safe and effective."

**Shiloh** · April 9, 2009, 01:43 PM

Re: UK: Concerns over campus mumps outbreaks

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7991513.stm

Mumps cases 'on the rise' again
Emma Wilkinson
Health reporter, BBC News

Cases of mumps are once again on the increase, with university students being hardest hit, latest figures from the Health Protection Agency show.

Up to the end of February there were almost 1,000 confirmed cases in England and Wales - more than triple the number in the same periods in 2007 and 2008.

The figures are still far from what was seen in the last major epidemic in 2005 when 43,000 cases were reported.

But experts said they expected to see the high levels continue for some time.

Mumps is a viral infection which causes painful swelling of the parotid or salivary glands near the jaw, making it difficult for people to open their mouth, talk, eat and drink

In rare cases it can cause complications including hearing loss (usually temporary) and meningitis. It can also reduce fertility in males.

Rates of measles have also been reported to be increasing due to a decline in uptake of the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella.

The mumps outbreaks are not related to this decline, but are happening in young people who were born before the vaccine was introduced in the late 1980s.

Some may have been too old to be included in the vaccination campaign, while others only received one dose of MMR.

Mumps reached epidemic levels four years ago but levels back to fell to 1,476 cases in 2007 before increasing again at the end of last year.

Vaccination

Many young people have been offered vaccination through catch-up campaigns but there are still those who remain unprotected, the Health Protection Agency said.

The Department of Health advise that school-leavers and other young adults who have not received MMR or only received one dose, should ensure that they take up the offer of MMR vaccination.

HPA immunisation expert Dr Mary Ramsay, said: "The increased occurrence of the disease is mainly amongst older teenagers and young adults in their early twenties, and mostly amongst those in further or higher education establishments.

"Some in this age group were too old to be routinely vaccinated with MMR when it was first introduced in 1988. And some others may only have received one dose of MMR.

"The number of cases has increased more steeply in recent years because many of the young adults in this cohort (born between 1981-1989) are now at university or in further education colleges.

"This large number of people in semi-closed institutions allows the disease to pass more easily from one person to another."

She added: "As the susceptible group is quite large we expected to see high numbers of cases to continue over the next few years."

Professor Steve Field, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said it was unpleasant illness which could be extremely painful.

"I have seen two students recently, one a sixth former, with classic mumps and I don't see many patients these days."

He added GPs would be keen to see any young person who wanted to make sure they were vaccinated against MMR.

**Shiloh** · April 17, 2009, 06:32 AM

Re: UK: Concerns over campus mumps outbreaks

Source: http://www.lep.co.uk/news/Mumps-on-t...his.5180500.jp

Mumps on the increase this year
Published Date: 17 April 2009

Mumps is on the rise in Preston, with the number of cases so far this year already overtaking the total number in 2008, health chiefs revealed today.
There have been 52 cases of mumps in the city since the beginning of this year ? compared to the whole of 2008 when there were 38 cases.

The Evening Post recently revealed how the University of Central Lancashire had been hit by its worst mumps outbreak in more than a decade with 30 confirmed cases affecting students.

Health experts have been carrying out mass vaccinations of the MMR jab at the Preston campus to keep the outbreak under control, but mumps cases are spiralling in the community.

Mumps is highly infectious and spreads through coughs and sneezes.
It causes swelling of the salivary glands and can lead to complications including meningitis, deafness and infertility.

Students under the age of 25 have a higher risk of developing mumps as most are too old to have been vaccinated with two doses of the MMR vaccine.

Dr Ken Lamden, immunisation lead for the Health Protection Agency Cumbria and Lancashire, said: "As well as the outbreak of mumps at the university, we seem to be getting around three cases a week across Preston.

"It is all related to the fall in MMR vaccination coverage."

**Shiloh** · April 18, 2009, 06:13 AM

Re: UK: Concerns over campus mumps outbreaks

Source: http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/43011...ases_of_mumps/

Dramatic increase in cases of mumps
12:00pm Saturday 18th April 2009
By Siobhan Ryan, Health Reporter ?

The number of mumps cases so far this year is already set to outstrip figures for the whole of last year.

Health chiefs blamed the worrying rise on adults who are too old to have been immunised contracting the disease.

They claimed the frequency of mumps cases would continue to climb over the next few years.

There have already been 82 confirmed incidents across Sussex this year.

This is only slightly fewer than the 88 cases recorded for the county for the whole of 2008.

Between January and March there were 69 cases in West Sussex, five in Brighton and Hove and eight in East Sussex.

Last year there were 49 incidents in West Sussex, 19 in Brighton and Hove and 20 in East Sussex.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said the unexpectedly high number was down to an outbreak of mumps at the University of Chichester earlier this year when dozens of students had to be sent home after falling ill.

There have been no new cases at the university for several weeks.

Mary Ramsay, who monitors mumps cases at the HPA, said: ?The increased occurrence of the disease is mainly among older teenagers and young adults in their early 20s and mostly among those in further or higher education establishments.

?Some in this age group were too old to be routinely given the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine when it was introduced in 1988.

?The number of cases has increased more steeply in recent years because many of the young adults in this cohort are now at university or in further education colleges.

?This large number of people in semi-closed institutions allows the disease to pass more easily from one person to another.

?As the susceptible group is quite large we expected to see high numbers of cases to continue over the next few years.?

Dr Ramsay did not believe the recent rise was linked to the controversial MMR jab and its now discredited link with autism.

The HPA recommends that school leavers and other young adults who have not received MMR or who only received one dose should make sure they are vaccinated properly.

**Shiloh** · April 27, 2009, 06:58 AM

Re: UK: Concerns over campus mumps outbreaks

Source: http://www.nursingtimes.net/whats-ne...000698.article

Mumps cases on the increase, says HPA
27 April, 2009

The Health Protection Agency has reported 998 confirmed cases of mumps in England and Wales in January and February 2009. This compares with 322 cases in the same period in 2008.

Cases of mumps have been high since 2004 and the increase is mainly among older teenagers and young adults in their early twenties in further or higher education establishments.

Some in this age group were too old to be routinely vaccinated with MMR when it was first introduced in 1988 or may only have received one dose of the vaccine.

HPA advice states that school leavers and other young adults who have not received MMR, or only received one dose, should ensure they take up the offer of MMR vaccination.

As part of the MMR catch up programme, all children aged 5-18 years who have not received two doses of MMR should be being called for vaccination.

**Shiloh** · May 18, 2009, 06:04 AM

Re: UK: mumps outbreaks

Source: http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/ne...l/article.html

Increase in mumps symptoms is linked to earlier outbreak
Monday, May 18, 2009, 07:30

Comment on this story

A MUMPS outbreak is putting young people in Derbyshire at risk ? even if they have been vaccinated against the disease.

Latest figures show that, between January and April, GPs saw 164 people in the county with symptoms of the illness ? 17 more than the 147 recorded during the whole of last year.

Although the illness is unlikely to lead to long-term health problems, it causes painful swelling of the glands and can in some cases lead to serious complications, including meningitis.

And despite the introduction of a jab to protect against the illness 21 years ago, people who have had the vaccine are still at risk.

Only those who have had the virus before are almost fully protected against it.
People born before the introduction of the jab in 1988 are likely to have already caught mumps as a child because it was more prevalent.

Roy Fey, of the Health Protection Agency East Midlands, said: "Quite a high proportion of people that are getting mumps have had two doses of the MMR jab."

The MMR vaccine was introduced in 1988 to protect against measles, mumps and rubella, with children having two injections by the age of five.

Research published several years ago suggested that the protection given by the jab lessens with time.

Dr Fey said the only people almost guaranteed not to catch the virus are those who have already had it.

Dr Fey said: "It's very important people still have MMR for measles and rubella, as immunity to them doesn't appear to decline with age."

Now a national committee is considering whether or not to give a third injection against mumps to people who have had two MMR jabs and never had mumps.

Alternatively, a different strain of the virus may be used in the future MMR jab to develop a stronger immunity.

The current high number of cases is believed to be linked to a previous outbreak of the disease that peaked in Derbyshire in 2005, when 1,443 people were suspected of having the illness.

Dr Fey said: "The outbreak has grumbled on since 2005, it's never really gone away. The outbreak in 2005 will have reduced the number of people who are susceptible to the virus."

Dr Fey said that everyone reported by their GP as having symptoms had been sent a home-testing kit.

They are asked to take a swab of saliva and send it for testing, but of the 164 with symptoms this year, only 65 submitted a swab, of which 34 tested positive.

Dr Fey advised anyone who had not had two doses of the MMR jab to speak to their GP.

**Shiloh** · May 18, 2009, 06:08 AM

Re: UK: mumps outbreaks

Source: http://www.wessexscene.co.uk/news/3258

News
British Students Hit By Rise In Mumps
18th May 2009
Rachel Arthur

A rise in the cases of mumps is hitting students hard, according to the Health Protection Agency.

Between January and February this year, almost 1000 cases of mumps were confirmed in England and Wales ? triple the number recorded in the same periods of 2008 and 2007. The South West and South East are particularly affected, with over a third of the cases recorded in these regions.

Mumps is a virus that usually causes inflammation of the parotid salivary glands. The swelling is painful and makes it difficult to open the mouth to eat, drink or talk, and can be accompanied by a fever. Rare but serious complications in mumps can lead to meningitis or infertility.

Students appear be particularly susceptible to this viral infection, as the increases are mainly among people in their late teens or early twenties. Although a vaccine for mumps is included in the MMR jab, this was not introduced until 1988. There are worries that students are among this age group that missed routine vaccinations or only received one of the two doses required.

In addition, since the last epidemic of mumps in 2005/6, there has been a turnover of three full year groups in universities. The Health Protection Authority suggests that this has created a new population of vulnerable students, which makes it easy for the virus to re-establish itself. The symptoms take 14 to 21 days to develop, and as a student lifestyle means they often come in contact with other people in the same age group, the virus can travel quickly before being detected.

Dr Mary Ramsay, who monitors mumps at the Health Protection Agency, warns that the increases will not be short-lived. "As the susceptible group is quite large we expect to see high numbers of cases to continue over the next few years".

The advice offered by health professionals is to ensure you have been fully vaccinated against mumps. If you suspect a case of mumps, see your GP for a diagnosis. In the unlikely but dangerous instance of meningitis developing (primarily detected by a rash that doesn?t fade, fever or stiffness) seek medical advice immediately.

**Shiloh** · May 20, 2009, 07:39 AM

Re: UK: mumps outbreaks

Source: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/ho...l/article.html

Mumps cases in city
Wednesday, May 20, 2009, 11:51

A TOTAL of 22 Nottingham Trent University students have been diagnosed with mumps.

The cases were discovered in the last two weeks at the university's Clifton and City campuses.

Officials say the situation is "under control" and the students have been told to rest and take fluids.

Emails have been sent out to all 24,000 students about the dangers of the disease and the university is working with the Health Protection Agency.

Students have been warned that they need to take two doses of the mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) vaccine to be properly immunised.

The email sent out said: "If you are aged between 18 and 25, there's a very good chance that you've had only one dose of the vaccine.

"There have recently been outbreaks of mumps among teenagers and young people because they have not been fully protected."

**Shiloh** · May 23, 2009, 06:42 AM

Re: UK: mumps outbreaks

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/he...t-hardest.html

Mumps cases double in three months with students being hit hardest
Cases of mumps have doubled, with almost 1,700 cases diagnosed in the last three months alone, official figures have found.

by Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor
Last Updated: 11:38PM BST 22 May 2009

The cases are mostly among older teenagers and students in their early twenties as they were too old to have received the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine or only received one of the two doses required for full protection.

In the last three months of 2008 there were 695 cases of mumps reported compared with 1,691, in the first three months of 2009.

There were 2,440 cases in total in 2008 but this remains well below figures seen in the last mumps epidemic in 2005 when there were 43,378.

Cases have been reported across England and Wales with outbreaks in universities and colleges.

A report from the Health Protection Agency said that only 12 per cent of cases are in people born after 1990 when the two-dose MMR schedule became universal, showing this approach is working well.

Mumps is a virus that is spread through saliva and symptoms begin with a headache and fever before the characteristic swelling of the glands in the neck, but in 30 per cent of cases there are no outward signs.

Complications can include swelling of the ovaries and testicles, aseptic meningitis and deafness.

New cases of measles have dropped in the first three months of 2009 with 382 cases confirmed compared with 404 in the last three months of 2008.

Nine in ten of these cases were in people aged 19 or younger and in 14 cases the patient had received one dose of the MMR jab and in three cases they had received two doses.

Dr Mary Ramsay, an immunisation expert at the Health Protection Agency, said: "We would urge parents to ensure their children are immunised against these infections. It's good to see that recent MMR coverage is starting to improve but we cannot stress enough that measles is serious and in some cases it can be fatal. Delaying immunisation puts children at risk. It is never too late to get your child immunised with the MMR vaccine.

"Mumps is also on the increase but not because of the recent decline in MMR uptake. The high numbers are mainly among older teenagers and young adults in their early twenties, and mostly among those in further or higher education establishments. Some in this age group were too old to be routinely vaccinated with MMR when it was first introduced in 1988 and some others may only have received one dose of MMR.

"The number of cases has increased more steeply in recent years because many of the young adults in this cohort (born between 1981 and 1989) are now at university or in further education colleges. This large number of people in semi-closed institutions allows the disease to pass more easily from one person to another. As the susceptible group is quite large we expected to see high numbers of cases to continue over the next few years."

**Shiloh** · May 28, 2009, 07:40 AM

Re: UK: mumps outbreaks

Source: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co....les_shock_rise

Mumps and measles shock rise

amanda crook

May 28, 2009

MORE than 130 children in Greater Manchester have had measles or mumps this year compared to just 10 in the same time in 2008.

This amounts to a 1,200 per cent leap in cases and has led to doctors who fear further outbreaks urging parents to protect their children with the MMR vaccine.

There have been 36 confirmed cases of measles, including nine in Manchester, seven in Salford and five in Bury according to the Health Protection Agency. Doctors have also recorded 95 cases of mumps, with 31 cases in Manchester, 17 in Tameside, 13 in Trafford and 10 in the Ashton, Wigan and Leigh area.

Dr Rosemary McCann, from the Health Protection Agency, said: "The only way we're going to eliminate these infections is by working with parents, schools, colleges and universities to encourage MMR uptake.

"My big fear is we will see further outbreaks unless we are successful in improving MMR uptake rates among pre-school-age children and in persuading parents to have older children and teenagers vaccinated."

The announcement comes after the National Public Health Service for Wales revealed it was only a matter of time before someone died in a measles outbreak. The organisation said it was investigating 207 measles cases across Wales.

Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, red eyes, blocked nose and feeling generally unwell. A blotchy rash appears a few days later, beginning on the face and spreading to the rest of the body over several days.

Typically, people will be infectious from the day before the first symptoms until four to five days after the rash appears.

Children should get their first dose of the MMR vaccine at 13 months of age and the second at about three.

Dr McCann said: "Anyone up to 18 who has not had two doses of the MMR vaccine should arrange it now through their family doctor."

Announcement

UK: mumps outbreaks 2009

UK: mumps outbreaks 2009

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment