Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska -- Anchorage, Alaska, recently had an outbreak of mumps. As of Sept. 25, 2017, there have been 15 documented cases of men and women between the ages of 14 and 58 affected by mumps.
The Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Public Health flight remains vigilant against disease by being prepared to care for afflicted military members and their families, and to further prevent infection by informing others.
“We, as public health, monitor for communicable disease outbreaks daily on JBER to include schools, school-age programs, Child Development Centers, dining facilities, and hospitals,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. Moises Ascenciongudino, 673d Medical Group Public Health communicable disease noncommissioned officer in charge. “If an active-duty member or his or her family member were seen at, say, Providence [Alaska Medical Center], and it turned out they had mumps, the local health department [would] report [it] to my office [,and] we would investigate, gather medical information and share it between our offices to ensure we track and care for the patient and their family.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control Prevention, anyone can get mumps, including those who are vaccinated or had mumps once before, if their immune system is weak and they make prolonged direct contact with an infected person.
Children are highly susceptible to mumps and one third of infected children show no symptoms, Ascenciongudino said, it is important to ensure their immunization records are up to date and all proper vaccinations have been administered to reduce the chance of infection.
“Schools require the [mumps, measles and rubella] vaccine as a prerequisite for students prior to starting school; this helps reduce outbreaks within the student and staff population,” Ascenciongudino said. “In recent years, there’s been an increase in [parents who don’t immunize their children] which can be a trigger why many diseases, we believed were eradicated are making a comeback.”
Childhood diseases with no cure, like mumps and chicken pox, were expected to run their course to create a ‘natural immunity’ only after infection, but with the introduction of vaccines and proper hygiene, many children do not have to endure these preventable diseases.
Before the U.S. mumps vaccination program started in 1967, mumps was a universal disease of childhood, according to Centers for Disease Control Prevention. Since the pre-vaccine era, there has been more than a 99-percent decrease in mumps cases in the U.S.
“The number one way to prevent contracting mumps or any other preventable disease is simply getting the vaccination,” Ascenciongudino said. “Although vaccines may not provide 100 percent protection, it does provide a safety blanket that will more than likely protect you from any disease not vaccinated against.
“Typically, babies receive about seven vaccines as a newborn, and because mumps is a live virus, it is recommended to wait a minimum of 12 months before their first MMR vaccine,” Ascenciongudino said. “[Children receive] their second dose between the ages of four and six.”
Because mumps is an airborne disease, the second best method of prevention is to cover the mouth when coughing and sneezing, and keep proper hand hygiene by washing them after touching high-traffic items like doorknobs and hand rails before eating or shaking someone else’s hand. Even though mumps is primarily a childhood disease, adults can be infected; this may lead to more serious complications such as meningitis and many others.
Individuals who contract mumps may see symptoms in 16 to 18 days – but as early as 12 and as late as 25 days in some cases – and can remain sick for a few weeks. Some people show mild to no symptoms, but some experience fever, headache, muscle ache, tiredness, loss of appetite, and the iconic swollen or tender salivary glands.
Because there is no cure, the only thing that can be done is to care for the infected with over-the-counter pharmaceuticals and home remedies like resting, staying hydrated, and eating foods that don’t require a lot of chewing – to reduce the agitation of the swollen glands.
If an individual shows signs of infection seek medical care from a healthcare provider, and try to reduce the spread by limiting physical and airborne contact with others. For more information call the JBER Public Health flight at 580-4014 or visit cdc.gov.