Arkansas mumps outbreak approaching 400

On Monday, the Arkansas Department of Health increased the number of mumps cases under investigation in the northwest part of the state to 387, marking an 11 case increase from Friday's total.

The outbreak has affected 33 schools across three school districts. The health department is requiring students with exemptions for the mumps, measles and rubella vaccine at schools where a student or teacher has become infected with the mumps to remain out of school for at least 26 days or until the outbreak has ended.

The mumps are best known for painful, swollen salivary glands that cause puffy cheeks and swollen jaw. It is a highly communicable disease transmitted by person-to-person contact and is typically accompanied by initial symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite.

To learn more about the mumps and the MMR vaccine, click here.

More articles on infection control:
HHS pushes new anthrax vaccine into advanced development 
In Calif., thousands of deaths from hospital superbugs go unreported 
Respiratory tract bacteria linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome

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