Mumps leads to quarantine in Harris County Jail



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Of the 11 detainees and three medical staff members in solitary confinement, seven confirmed that they had mumps and blood tests are pending for the remaining seven, told reporters Dr. David Persse, responsible from the Houston Department of Health.

In Harris County Prison, Texas, the first case appeared around May 17th and the other cases occurred a few weeks later, as could be expected with the period of the virus incubation from 12 to 25 days, said Persse.

About 300 detainees who may have been near the 14 people – such as the inmates of the patients' cells – were temporarily quarantined in a certain cell block, even if they did not show any symptoms. said the chief Darryl Coleman, Commander of the Sheriff's Criminal Justice Command.

Quarantining the 300 is a precaution, as infected people can still transmit the virus a few days before presenting the symptoms, said Persse.

"We will navigate through this and make sure we take all precautions," said Ed Gonzalez, Harris County Sheriff.

The prison has a population of about 8,000 inmates each day, Harris said.

Mumps is caused by a virus

As of May 24, 1,002 cases of mumps have been reported this year in the United States, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That's almost the pace for the total for 2018 (2,251) but well below the rate for peaks in 2016 (6,366) and 2017 (6,109), says the CDC.

Mumps is a disease caused by a virus. It is spread through saliva or mucus by coughing, sneezing or talking and sharing kitchen utensils or cups. It can also spread when an infected person touches objects or surfaces that are subsequently touched by another person who contracts the virus.

The vaccine is the best way to prevent mumps, and the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) is 88% effective against mumps when two doses are given, the CDC says.

Epidemics usually occur in people in close contact with an infected person, for example on university campuses and sports teams.

Symptoms may occur 12 to 25 days after infection and may include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue and loss of appetite. The characteristic, however, is swollen ganglia under the ears that are sensitive. But not everyone has symptoms, especially if they have a mild case of the disease.

In the event of an outbreak of mumps in an institution where adults are being held, the US Department of Health Services' immigration and customs service recommends giving the vaccine "the inmates whose exposure to at least one laboratory-confirmed person is affected by measles, mumps or rubella ". It is also recommended to administer catch-up vaccines to those under 18 years of age.

Samira Said and Debra Goldschmidt of CNN contributed to this report.

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