Iowa experiencing mumps epidemic

WSYX 6 News ^ | March 31, 2006

[flutters]

A puzzle for health officials and a worry for parents. Iowa is experiencing an epidemic of mumps.

State health officials say 245 confirmed, probable or suspected cases were reported as of yesterday. State epidemiologist Patricia Quinlisk says that's enough for officials to call it an epidemic and not just an outbreak.

Quinlisk says before this year, Iowa counted only about five cases annually. The illnesses that have spread across more than a third of the state add up to the country's only mumps outbreak, and Iowa's first such epidemic in more than 20 years.

Federal health watchers say they have no answers yet about the cause.

[flutters]

Strange.

I've never had mups and can't think of anyone who has.

[sageb1]

I had them. :(

[lysie]

Yikes, if true.

[firewalk]

I had mumps when I was very young. It was horrible.

[Awestruck]

I had mumps before the MMR vaccine was required in children.. I got it on my 8th birthday and it's not pleasant.. unfortunately my father caught it too! Not a good thing in adult males because it can hamper their ability to have children.. might explain why I'm an only child...

anyhow.. I'm suprised at this outbreak because I thought the vaccine was required everywhere in the US before children could even enter school

[lysie]

Yeah, but whopping cough was far, far worse.

At age 8, I thought I was going to die.

[digger48]

I've never had mups and can't think of anyone who has.

I haven't had mups, either.

[jackadams]

I can guess where they came from. Same people who returned resistent TB to this country.

[sageb1]

The worst part was my my father came home from work and called me "chipmunk" and I started to cry. You did not want to cry when you had the mumps. It made it hurt worse.

[flutters]

That's what I thought too. Kids have to get the MMR vaccine.

BTW, laughing at my typo in original post...mumps, not mups.

[mlc9852]

Had them as a child as did my brother and sister. Not fun. I remember being very sick.

[sageb1]

hmmmmmmmmmm......

[mlc9852]

I knew this would be blamed on the Mexicans.

[Velveeta]

I had 'em. 1966

[sageb1]

mups was more fun. :)

[DBrow]

For somme reason the people involved either got no vaccination (required to get into school now) or got a bad batch.

Hmmm, what group of ppl would not have had the shots mandatory in the USA?

[firewalk]

Yeah, but whopping cough was far, far worse.

At age 8, I thought I was going to die.

oh yeah...
never had that...
but I still think my mumps were worse...
and we were poorer too...
/kidding

[sageb1]

I seem to remember my twins getting the mumps vaccine the first year it was available. Maybe 1976?

[tiredoflaundry]

I had them as a kid........... awful.

[lysie]

mups was more fun. :)

Still laughing. Funny how some things hit your giggler on a Friday afternoon.