JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health in Duval County has confirmed one case of mumps, and the Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County has identified two probable cases of mumps.
The three individuals are young adults with close contact with each other. Local health officials are working to limit potential exposure, and public health officials are in the process of notifying individuals with exposure risks.
Mumps is a contagious respiratory disease caused by the mumps virus and is spread by talking, coughing or sneezing as well as by sharing items, such as cups or eating utensils, with others, and touching objects or surfaces with unwashed hands that are then touched by others.
"It does cause neurological symptoms and also does affect other organs in adults, so we can experience that if they have a decrease in their immunity, or in certain patients who could react and get worse," said Dr. Shalaka Ghate, with Memorial Hospital.
Mumps outbreaks can occur any time of year, and a crowded environment -- such as high school or college classes, playing on the same sports team or living in a dormitory with a person who has mumps -- can contribute to an outbreak.
Mumps is best known for the puffy cheeks and swollen jaw it causes as a result of swollen salivary glands. Symptoms usually appear 16-18 days after infection, but can range from 12-25 days. The most common symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, loss of appetite and swollen and tender salivary glands under the ears on one or both sides.
“In many instances, mumps is relatively mild, but it has the potential to cause long-term health problems,” said Dr. Kelli Wells, deputy secretary for health and director of the Florida Department of Health in Duval County. “The best way to protect yourself, your loved ones and your community from the spread of the mumps virus is to make sure your measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is current.”
“These cases serve as a reminder for all residents to check their immunization records or contact their primary care provider's office to make sure they are up-to-date on the mumps vaccine as well as all recommended vaccines," said Dr. Dawn Allicock, director and health officer of the Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County.
Children should be immunized against mumps with the combination measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. Children should receive two doses, with the first at 12 to 15 months of age, and the second at 4 to 6 years of age. The MMR vaccine is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's childhood immunization schedule.
VIEW: Child and adolescent immunization schedule
According to the CDC, two doses of the vaccine are 88 percent effective at protecting against mumps, and one dose is 78 percent effective.
"This is a preventable illness, so we hate to see somebody have serious complications, Dr. Vandana Bhide said.
Ashley Titcomb's 9-month-old daughter is too young for her MMR vaccine, but the mother told News4Jax on Tuesday that once her daughter turns 1 year old, she will definitely be getting her first dose.
"I absolutely think that children should be vaccinated. She has all of hers up-to-date and she will continue to get them as long as she needs them," Titcomb said. "I just feel like, with the mumps case that is coming back, I feel it's necessary because it could become an epidemic and I don't want that for my kid."
Adolescents and adults may require two doses of MMR and people with underlying health conditions should discuss with their health care provider the possibility of needing additional booster doses. The department encourages all Floridians who have not been immunized to get vaccinated.
From the beginning of this year to May 20, the CDC said, there have been 3,176 reported mumps cases in 42 states and the District of Columbia.
"The reason for that (outbreaks) is because we still have a few kids where parents are denying vaccines for their kids voluntarily and that can cause these kids to be susceptible to the mumps virus," Ghate said. "That's how they spread it to adults or other kids and just cause the spread of that illness."
Recent notable outbreaks have included 2,878 mumps cases affecting 19 schools in eight school districts and two colleges in Arkansas in March and April. Texas reported in March more than 200 cases so far this year -- the highest number for the state in 22 years.