If we told you that you could be in the same league as Sidney Crosby, Ryan Suter and a dozen other NHL players, what would you say? Unfortunately, the ‘league’ you would be joining is in the “Mumps Division.” That’s because they have all been diagnosed as being afflicted with the mumps.
The outbreak seems to have started with the Anaheim Ducks. At first, players made fun of the fact, but concern soon followed. According to Ducks defenseman, Francois Beauchemin, quoted in USA Today, “At first it was kind of funny. But after a couple of guys got it, it wasn't funny anymore.” And once he joined the infected, he declared that, “mumps has to be the worst thing I've ever had in my life.”
A lot of people will have had no experience with mumps, or it’s been so long we’ve forgotten. Mumps is a viral infection that can cause painful swelling of the salivary glands, especially the parotid glands (between the ear and jaw). And mumps is contagious, mostly spread by saliva, for example when an infected person coughs or sneezes nearby or shares food or drinks. The virus can be spread as many as nine days before symptoms even appear — during its incubation period.
Symptoms of mumps include swelling and pain in the jaw. Fever, headache, earache, sore throat, and pain when you swallow or open your mouth may all be symptoms, too, as can tiredness with aching in the muscles and joints.
While mumps usually goes away in about 10 days, prevention is certainly a better strategy. The mumps vaccine protects most against the illness. The vaccine is part of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) that most children get as part of their regular shots.
So, there’s a vaccine. But why would these normally very healthy athletes suddenly be getting mumps? It turns out that young adults born in 1970 to 1994 may have had only one dose of MMR, making them more susceptible to the illness. Those born before 1970 are considered immune due to natural infection. NHL players fall right into the age group; most are 20 to 30 years of age.
You have not been infected with mumps, and you don’t play in the NHL, so how does all this apply to you? All those who have only received a single MMR shot are eligible for a second MMR for free, and have been since 2009 in B.C. If you fall into this group, check with your doctor about whether you need the MMR booster.
We are still seeing cases of mumps despite there being a vaccine to prevent it. That is because even the two-dose MMR is about 88 per cent effective, not entirely foolproof.
You may not be in line to be the next Crosby (and we mean ‘getting mumps’) but it would be a wise move to see if you can benefit from a booster vaccine, especially if you are 20 to 45 years old.
Editor’s Dr. Paul Martiquet is the medical health officer for rural Vancouver Coastal Health including Powell River, the Sunshine Coast, Sea-to-Sky, Bella Bella and Bella Coola.
