Kerala - Kochi   

Mumps cases on the increase

KOCHI: There is an increase in the number of mumps cases reported across the State this year, with Kozhikode reporting 835 cases in the past two months. Malappuram follows closely behind with 735 cases. In Idukki, the cases reported were 249 while in Kottayam it was 203.

In Ernakulam, mumps cases were 182 till the end of February but have risen to 204 by March 19. This is close on the heels of chicken pox that is being reported in large numbers. So far this year, 216 cases have been reported in the district.

Except in Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kannur and Wayanad, all other districts have reported over 150 mumps cases in the last two months.

The Health authorities do not have a particular reason to cite why the number of mumps cases has increased recently. There are no concrete epidemiological studies on the disease yet. But the Directorate of Health Services has ordered strengthening of the ongoing research, studies and containment of communicable diseases.

At a meeting here, the Community Medicine team of the Medical Colleges, Prevention of Infectious Diseases Cell, in association with regional units, have been asked to find reasons for the sudden increase in the disease.

Dr. K. Shailaja, Director, Health Services, said that a probe will be conducted for environmental and climatic conditions affecting the diseases as well as the effects of pollution.

Cases of mumps are usually high during the summer, but this time, the numbers have gone up rather high, said a Health official here.

The total number of mumps cases reported in Ernakulam district in 2008 was 534.

The disease being reported in such large numbers calls for an investigation, said S. Sachidananda Kamath, district president of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics. “One has to confirm whether it is mumps”, he said. Some other virus could cause the disease too. Since the mumps virus is best known for its clinical symptoms, the reports are based entirely on the diagnosis of the clinician and the endemic infections prevalent, he said.

According to paediatrician Junaid Rehman, the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine should be preserved at the right temperature in the cold storage for it to be effective. There have been cases of person developing mumps after they were administrated poorly preserved MMR vaccine, he said.

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