[neverdem]

Not the best description of mumps.

[lmr]

I had the Mumps at 6 years of age. I also caught the Measles at 8 years of age. I think the MMR immunization I was given before age 5 was weak and ineffective. At 34, my immune system seems to be immune to virtually everything now. I haven't been ill in 3 years, and during adulthood entirely, I have been ill maybe 4 times.

[ncountylee]

Another present from Senor Fox perhaps?

[Pro-Bush]

Don't you think the CDC should be involved here. Who is to say this isn't a bioweapon at ground zero?

[neverdem]

Some Doctors Voice Worry Over Abortion Pills' Safety

Embryonic Stem Cell Hucksters Exploit Paralysis Victims

FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.

[garandgal]

From our state epidemiologist, as quoted in the article:

But she added, "Our law does not allow us to identify entities associated with outbreaks."

Read that statement very carefully...as she is trying to tell you something. This woman ONCE, at the beginning of Iowa's five year (so far) whooping cough epidemic (which is so severe as to cause total shutdowns of entire high schools), actually said in the DM Register that it was caused by un-vaccinated illegals. She is honest; she knows the problem; but is not allowed to directly communicate it for political reasons.

[aruanan]

The infection is characterized by symptoms that include fever, headache and swollen salivary glands under the jaw.

Unless you're post-puberty in which case you'll have some serious swelling elsewhere as well.

[TalBlack]

"Our law does not allow us to identify entities associated with outbreaks."

It seems to me it used to.

[zzen01]

Iowa is a Democrat run, liberal state which is painted up to be a conservative "mainline" state. Vilsack and his democrat minions have infected EVERY part of the state.

[Robert A Cook PE]

True, true.

How many of these WORK CLOSELY WITH (unminimized) illegal aliens, EMPLOY (unminimized) illegal aliens, ARE THEMSELVES (unminimized) illegal aliens, or RECEIVED FOOD or other unsterilized material FROM (unminimized) illegal aliens?

[theFIRMbss]

>Mumps Strikes 245, Puzzling Iowa Officials

March/April 2006 The Knowledge Biotechnology’s advance could give malefactors the ability to manipulate life processes--and even affect human behavior. By Mark Williams Editor's note: Conscious of the controversial nature of this article, Technology Review asked Allison Macfarlane, a research associate in the Science, Technology, and Global Security Working Group in MIT's Program in Science, Technology, and Society, to rebut its argument: see "Assessing the Threat." We were also careful to elide any recipes for developing a biological weapon. Such details as do appear have been published before, mainly in scientific journals. Last year, a likable and accomplished scientist named Serguei Popov, who for nearly two decades developed genetically engineered biological weapons for the Soviet Union, crossed the Potomac River to speak at a conference on bioterrorism in Washington, DC. ...

[Gamecock]

My gut reaction was religious nuts whose parents didn't have them immunized, then I read the article:

At least 66 percent of the infected people in Iowa had previously received the recommended two doses of the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella.

Bad vaccine? New strain? It will be interesting to follow this....

[Doc Savage]

Well they could vaccinate with Mumpsvax from Merck,....oh, wait, the trial lawyers are currently raping Merck and forcing them into bankruptcy so there won't be any vaccines,...what's that you say???? All 245 cases are the kids of trial lawyers raping America???????? Well who would have thunk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bean Counter]

There's probably no mystery at all here. It's either some infected illegal who brought it in from somewhere else, or some wackadoo who doesn't believe in innoculations for their children.

[webstersII]

Can someone explain the comments by the person from the healthcare dept.:

"It's working at a 95 percent efficacy rate, which is darn good," Ms. Quinlisk said of the vaccine, "

given that the majority of the kids actually had the vaccine:

" At least 66 percent of the infected people in Iowa had previously received the recommended two doses of the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella."

Where does she get the 95% number? Is that historical data on the vaccine? If so, it looks like this is a different strain.

[RJS1950]

Any relationship between those with the infection and areas where there are meatpacking operations?

[Born Conservative]

Ping

[Keith in Iowa]

One would think the "newspaper Iowa Depends Upon"...the Des Moines Register (aka: Red Star & Sickle) would be all over this - but the only story they have about mumps in the last 7 days is the toll it's taking on the small college spring sports season. It seems track & softball teams from Loras College of Dubuque, were turned away from Washington U, St. Louis.

[Old_Mil]

There's a percentage of the luddites in the population that refuses to vaccinate their children because of wrongheaded ideas from "naturopaths" on the internet. What you see results.

[Uri’el-2012]

Could the vector for the Mumps be Illegal aliens ?