Hidalgo County Confirms 9 Suspected Cases of Mumps, More Likely to Be Reported

EDINBURG – The number of suspected cases of mumps in the county has increased from five to nine, confirmed Eddie Olivarez, director of health services and social services of Hidalgo County on Friday.

The county is awaiting laboratory results for suspected cases, which should arrive by the end of Friday or Monday. The county will send a letter to those who have been exposed to confirmed cases, Olivarez said.

Olivarez pointed out that there was no established link between the mumps epidemic and the release of immigrants from overpopulated immigration facilities in the county.

"I want it to be really clear," he said. "This mumps situation has no link – zero, nothing, zip – from this second of today … with the immigration situation. No."

On Tuesday, the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley, confirmed the first case in a student and a second suspected case in another student. Health officials determined that the confirmed case could come from a mission case. Olivarez sent mission officials questions about the establishment in question, which described it only as a "health facility".

Residents attending Tru Fit on Griffin Parkway in Mission reported being evacuated from the gym around 19:25. Thursday. The venue and Conway's gymnasium were both closed Friday and are scheduled to reopen on Saturday, according to an employee. The gym sent a letter Friday stating that the closures were due to the discovery of a case of mumps and that the equipment of the facility was being disinfected.

"We do not necessarily look for where the disease comes from, we look at the people who have the symptoms and who they are affiliated with," said Olivarez. "… It's not necessarily suspected if it comes from one place; it's about whether it came from a social group. Does this come from a link between a group of people who might have become infected? That's what we're investigating. "

Mumps is extremely contagious and spreads through close and prolonged contact, such as kissing, sharing cups or bottles of water, playing sports together or living nearby.

"It is a social disease," said Olivarez, adding that it was normal for the county to see some cases of mumps every year, but it is almost always in children.

What makes this outbreak unusual is that it is in adults.

The good thing about Hidalgo County, said Olivarez, is that the vaccination rate is high here, at nearly 90%. The MMR vaccine, which is administered at a young age and often required to enroll in public schools, still has an efficiency of about 90%. But those who are vaccinated and contract the infection can expect lighter symptoms. Olivarez confirmed that several of the suspected cases were among vaccinated individuals.

Mumps is rarely fatal, however. Olivarez said the main problem is the burden this places on infected people. Often, quarantine can last three weeks. it's time for work, school or other responsibilities.

"This is not something that comes and goes very quickly," Olivarez said, adding that he expects more cases to occur in the coming weeks. "It's not going to be fast, he will not be gone next week."

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Officials: the case of UTRGV mumps comes from the Mission company