Mumps??

[SadieKate]

I just posted this on BJ also, so apologies for it's redundancy but not everyone visits both places.

Have yawl seen the news about the mumps outbreak in the Midwest? I've never had it and sure don't want it as an adult.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060419/...mumps_outbreak

Just posting because it is century season and we're all sharing those portapotties, communal food areas, pens at sign-in, etc. Wash your hands lots! Those hand sanitizing lotions are great but they're better than nothing. I carry a tiny bottle with me whenever I go on an organized century.

[snapdragen]

I've never had mumps either, even with Mom tossing me in bed with my puffy cheeked siblings I've considered checking into the vaccine.

We just had a Patient Safety Fair at work - all kinds of stuff, including little bottles of waterless hand cleaner - new and improved with lotion. The company rep was quite proud of it.

[Lise]

Isn't that wild? Mumps. I had them when I was 6 or so. I suppose I'm immune.

Funny thing is, despite having been vaccinated at least three times, twice as an adult, I am not immune to measles. The doc in employee health finally told me to stop getting vaccinated, as it wasn't doing anything for me. Maybe I need to vacation at a measles colony. What, you say no such thing exists? Oh well. If a measles outbreak hits, I don't know whether to volunteer to go care for the sick and get immune the old-fashioned way, or move to another country for awhile.

[SadieKate]

Hey, I've had the measles twice and have been vaccinated. I just assume I'm destined to wear spots multiple times in my life, wish they were just on a jersey.


And, just for snap, I'll tell you how I got my first case of measles. Sick mom and bro spit out their mouthfuls of oatmeal back into my bowl because Mom wanted to be sure I didn't get them as an adult. Gee, thanks Mom. I got them anyway as an adult and have a gross story to boot.

[Lise]

little bottles of waterless hand cleaner - new and improved with lotion. The company rep was quite proud of it.

Believe this I will, when see it I do! That stuff is so drying--and why not, it's alcohol. OK, keeping an open mind...

[janetsplanet]

oh yea, the mumps people are only about 15 miles from me...We have a large population of Hmongs that have settled here and even though they are not making it public, I cant help but wonder if they are getting this?
Most people get the MMR vacine (measles mumps and rubella) so you should be okay. I know there is a big push for these families to get caught up with their shots for their children so I hope that is what it may be....

[ladyfish]

Yes, it would be helpful to have a bit more information on just WHO is getting the disease. Between the vaccine or having been exposed/had it as a child you would "think" most Americans (other than the 10% talked about in the article) would be immune.

Leads one to believe it is folks who either never were vaccinated, didn't get exposed, or the vaccine didn't work. I guess that's what the Center for Disease Control is for!!!

Keep those germs away!!!

[Satori78]

I live in Iowa and it's a pretty big deal--they are doing a free MMR shot clinic for 18-22 year-olds who haven't had it or the actual mumps. One of the issues though is some people who have had the vac. are still getting sick. I think it's supposed to be a slightly different strain. It also sounds like it started on one of the campuses (at least in Dubuque where I live). With the college kids mere weeks from heading home, hopefully it won't become more widespread than it already is. You can't pick up the paper or turn on local news without hearing about it.

[fixedgeargirl]

I'm headed out on for a ride, so this may seem brusque (sp?)

• Up to 30% of people who contract mumps are asymptomatic. You may have it and never suffer from it at all.
• In Iowa, 64% of those developing symptomatic mumps in this outbreak have had 2 doses of the MMR. Another 10% have had 1 dose. Three percent are confirmed to be unvaccinated. The rest are unknown pending searches of medical records.
• It takes up to 2 weeks for the vaccine to become effective.

This is the mumps information the CDC gives to professionals on their website:

What about mumps complications?
Severe complications of mumps are rare. However, mumps can cause acquired sensorineural hearing loss in children; incidence is estimated at 1 in 20,000 cases. Mumps-associated encephalitis occurs in < 2 per 100,000 cases and approximately 1% of encephalitis cases are fatal.

Some complications of mumps are known to occur more frequently among adults than among children. Adults have a higher risk for mumps meningoencephalitis than children. In addition, orchitis occurs in up to 30-40%of cases in post pubertal males. Although it is frequently bilateral, it rarely causes sterility. Mastitis has been reported in as many as 31% of female patients older than 15 years who have mumps.

Other rare complications of mumps are oophoritis and pancreatitis.
Aseptic meningitis occurs in 10% of cases and is associated with a good prognosis. Although mumps infection in the first trimester of pregnancy may result in fetal loss, there is no evidence that mumps during pregnancy causes congenital malformations.

We talk a lot in this forum about acceptable risk. You can't make an informed decision about that acceptable risk if the facts (in this case, statistics) are not all available to you.

[Lise]

Oopheritis? Inflammation of the ovaries? That's wild. But it makes sense, since the guys can get inflammation of their analogous organs (how's that for discrete wording?! )

[snapdragen]

I figure if it becomes serious in my world, my employer will have us lined up for blood tests/shots. One of the benefits/joys of working in a hospital......

[massbikebabe]

Had the mumps when I was six...never forget it...sick as a dog I was. Mom did not know and sent us to school, (went to Catholic school), it was during Holy Week and I was so sick I was holding my rosary upside down. Sister Bridget beat the snot out of me for doing that...I was so sick I didn't even care. Have since been re-vaccinated because of nursing school.

Someone here wrote about the Hmong. You need to read the book The Spirit
Moves Me and I Fall Down...fabulous read!!


karen

[bikerz]

Someone here wrote about the Hmong. You need to read the book The Spirit Moves Me and I Fall Down...fabulous read

(small thread drift: I heartily second that recommendation - the author is Anne Fadiman. She also wrote a wonderful book about books and book-lovers called Ex Libris.)

I don't know if I've ever had mumps - I always have to call my mom and ask her questions like that. I've probably asked her 10 times about childhood diseases, and I still can't remember.

(I'm posting like a maniac today - can you tell I don't feel like working? Arggh!)

[bikerchick68]

I've not had the mumps either... and the first case has already been reported here in San Diego. I actually never had ANY of the childhood diseases... until I was 18 and I got chicken pox of all things! I was sick as a dog with that and missed 2 weeks of my senior year... they almost hospitalized me cause the fever wouldn't break... had blisters everywhere... bottom of my feet, roof of my mouth, in my ears... ugh! It was horrible...

I was vaccinated for all this stuff... but... how long is the vaccination good for? How many years? I'm not one of those who will run right out and get another, but curious about this since it's clearly becoming an issue again.

[MomOnBike]

I don't watch TV, so this mumps thing has slipped in under my radar. I think I had them 'way back when, but who knows?

My weekend job is in a long-term acute care hospital. Lotsa immune-compromised patients. If I needed to be worried, Employee Health would let me know.

But what do I know about this sort of thing? I'm the woman who sent her youngest to China during the SARS scare. Kid had a great time and came home healthy, BTW. When she came home, though, the school nurse took her temp daily for a week (two?) - even chasing her down once when she didn't show up on time.