Health chiefs issue mumps alert
Teenagers and young adults were being warned about the dangers of catching the potentially dangerous mumps virus after it was revealed that more than 1,000 people contracted the disease this year.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) said seven colleges were hit by outbreaks of the illness, with 1,166 people treated by doctors.
Last year, 132 people were treated for mumps.
Medics urged people aged between 15 and 24 to get two doses of the MMR vaccine to prevent the numbers affected increasing.
Dr Suzanne Cotter, HPSC public health specialist, said the eight-fold increase showed the importance of vaccination.
“The huge rise in cases – nearly 60% of whom are between 15 and 24-years-old - highlights once again the importance of getting vaccinated with two doses of MMR, which are needed to minimise the risk of infection,” she said.
“This is especially important for all teenagers and young adults, particularly students in schools and colleges following at least seven outbreaks in third level colleges.”
Dr Cotter said people who had not had two doses of MMR should talk to their GP or student health service.
“People who are not sure about their vaccination status should get another dose to be on the safe side,” she said.
The HPSC said mumps was a contagious acute viral illness that caused fever, headache and painful swollen glands and which, in some cases, could cause complications such as meningitis, deafness and inflammation of the testicles, ovaries or pancreas.
“Anyone who has mumps should stay off for five days after the onset of swollen glands,” Dr Cotter said.
