Maritimes mumps outbreak spreads to Ontario
A stubborn outbreak of the mumps in Nova Scotia has now infected 203 people and appears to have spread to Central Canada, health officials say.
Ontario is reporting three confirmed cases — in the Ottawa, York and Waterloo public health units — which can be directly linked to the Nova Scotia outbreak.Five other suspected cases are under investigation.
As of Friday, New Brunswick reported 34 cases and Prince Edward Island had one confirmed case.
One of the hot spots this year has been Dalhousie University in Halifax, where the outbreak waned recently after students wrapped up exams and left campus.
Officials in Nova Scotia are considering a vaccination program for both university students and health-care workers, several of whom have become infected while caring for mumps cases.
Nova Scotia medical officials say they're calling on Ottawa's Public Health Agency for a national strategy to deal with such outbreaks, which aredifficult to contain.
"I just think this needs to be co-ordinated from a national perspective and we are in ongoing discussions with the Public Health Agency [of Canada]," said Robert Strang, the Nova Scotia medical officer of health.
"Nova Scotia can lead in this because we're the one learning. We're on the front lines on this and other provinces can learn from us."
The agency's experts plan to review the case next month.
"There are a lot of things to be considered and the information from the outbreak itself will help in making those decisions for a national recommendation," said Jeannette Macey, an epidemiologist with the agency.
What is clear is that people born between 1970 and 1992 are most at risk. Most were immunized for the mumps, measles and rubella once, but for some it wasn't enough.
Catching the mumps can have serious consequences. The disease, which causes swollen and tender glands and other flu-like symptoms, can lead to sterility, deafness and viral meningitis.
It's spread by coughing, sneezing, sharing drinks and food, and kissing, and can be contagious for about seven days before symptoms appear, and up to nine days after.