Colorado has its first confirmed case of mumps linked to the virus that invaded the Midwest earlier this year, according to state health officials.
Another 24 suspected cases are being tested, the health department said.
The 45-year-old Douglas County woman became sick April 14, after making two trips to Iowa to visit sick relatives, according to the Tri-County Health Department.
“This one case does not indicate we have a mumps outbreak in Colorado,” said Dr. Ned Calonge, the state’s chief medical officer.
“There is no evidence that Colorado is involved in the multistate outbreak, at least not yet,” Calonge said.
The current mumps epidemic is the nation’s biggest in 20 years.
As of April 19, more than 800 cases had been reported in Iowa, with another 350 in Nebraska, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Minnesota, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There have been no deaths related to the outbreak.
Calonge stressed that parents should make sure their children are fully vaccinated.
If an outbreak does materialize, the state will likely advise vaccination for people most likely to be exposed, such as teachers, Calonge said.
Colorado recommends that children get their first measles, mumps and rubella shot between 12 months and 24 months, with the second dose between the ages of 4 and 6.
The Douglas County woman has recovered. She was the third reported case in Colorado this year. The state has an average of three or four reported cases a year.
Mumps can be spread through coughing, sneezing and hand contact.
It usually takes between 16 and 18 days to become sick after being exposed to the virus, according to the health department. Symptoms include fever, muscle pain, loss of appetite and swollen glands in the face or neck.
Calonge said that people who suspect they might have mumps should stay home from work or school and make arrangements to arrive at a doctor’s office in a way that doesn’t expose others in the waiting room.
Complications are rare and can include hearing loss and inflammation of breasts or testes. In very rare cases, swelling of the brain or infertility in males has been reported as well.
Staff writer Karen Augé can be reached at 303-820-1733 or kauge@denverpost.com.
Virus affects glands
Mumps is a virus that infects many parts of the body, particularly the upper salivary glands.
The virus can be spread through coughing, sneezing and hand contact.
It usually takes between 16 and 18 days to become sick after being exposed to the virus.
It takes about 10 to 12 days to recover from the disease.
Children get their first measles, mumps and rubella shot between 12 months and 24 months, with the second dose between the ages of 4 and 6.
Sources: Nemours Foundation and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
