Delaware: Mumps from dance continues spread, cases rise to 9

The mumps outbreak is growing in Delaware as nine residents are now confirmed as infected with the infectious disease, a state health official said Wednesday.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has seen a substantial increase in the number of mumps outbreaks since 2015, this is the first time Delaware has experienced an outbreak in at least five years, said Dr. Awele Maduka-Ezeh, the medical director of the Division of Public Health. 

Mumps is a viral infection that can spread through saliva or mucus, health officials said. It can easily spread by coughing, sneezing or talking. State health officials announced last week that three Delawareans had the mumps after attending a Mexican dance in February. 

Maduka-Ezeh said five of the eight residents attended Baile Mejicano on Feb. 10 at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington. Another resident with the mumps attended a similar dance on March 3. 

State health officials are asking people who attended these dances to contact their primary care physician about testing for mumps. It's likely more people have the mumps but haven't seen their doctor yet, Maduka-Ezeh said. 

Not everyone with mumps experiences symptoms, which include fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite. These symptoms are then followed by swollen salivary glands, which can lead to puffy cheeks and a swollen jaw. 

Symptoms typically occur 16 to 18 days after the infection. There is no specific treatment for mumps, health officials said.  

While most people with the infection recover in a couple weeks, mumps can lead to serious complications. This includes inflammation of testicles, ovaries, breast tissue, the brain and tissue covering the brain and spinal cord. It can also lead to deafness.People who have the condition, or believe they have it, should stay home from work or school until five days after first feeling swollen glands, health officials said.

For those who are in need of a vaccine, New Castle County residents should call the Hudson State Service Center Immunization Clinic at (302) 283-7587, Kent County residents should call the Kent County Immunization Clinic at (302) 857-5140, and those in Sussex County should call the Georgetown Immunization Clinic at (302) 515-3220. 

To report suspected mumps cases, call (302) 744-4990 or email reportdisease@state.de.us. 

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Contact Meredith Newman at 302-324-2386 or at mnewman@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @merenewman.