Mumps Outbreak in Vancouver
August 27, 2008 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
131 cases of measles in the US so far this year—–and now, as Discovering Biology in a Digital World reports, there’s an outbreak of mumps—116 confirmed cases and 74 suspected since February—in Vancouver. On average, there are ten cases a year. From CBSnews.ca:
Two people from Alberta carried the mumps to a religious community near Agassiz that has a low rate of vaccinations, said Dr. Elizabeth Brodkin of the Fraser Health Authority.
“My understanding is their interpretation of scripture is that to immunize would be to show a lack of faith in God’s ability to protect them, and therefore they choose not to do that,” said Brodkin.
Brodkin wouldn’t identify the closely knit faith-based community but said the mumps outbreak since spread well beyond that group.
“The virus is kind of travelling underground and popping up every time it encounters somebody who is able to develop clinical mumps that we recognize,” said Brodkin.
When you get mumps, meningitis, pancreatitis, encephalitis, and hearing loss may occur and orchitis (inflammation of the testicles) or oophoritis (inflammation of the ovaries) is not uncommon in you adults (more about mumps at Discovering Biology in a Digital World).
The risks are incredible. I can’t imagine avoiding vaccines. I had pertussis a few years ago, and it took months -months! – to recover. I could see how this disease could be fatal to one very young.