Arkansas health officials investigating 135 potential mumps cases

The Arkansas Department of Health is now investigating 135 potential mumps infections in the state, according to OzarksFirst.com.

The news comes after Nate Smith, MD, director of the ADH, told a state legislative panel there have been 89 confirmed cases of the mumps in the state associated with a total of 23 schools in the Springdale and Rogers School Districts.

The state health department is now requiring students with vaccination exemptions 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.

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ADH Chief Medical Office, Gary Wheeler, MD, told OzarksFirst.com that while it may take months for the outbreak to fizzle, the department is doing what it can to separate those who are infected to minimize the spread of the disease.

"We have good tools to try to isolate it and contain it and we're putting those things in place," said Dr. Wheeler.

According to the CDC, two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine are 88 percent effective at preventing the mumps.

More articles on infection control: 
Genesee County (Mich.) health officials issue advisory for Shigella bacteria 
Rapidly adapting antibody could lead to universal flu vaccine 
$7.5M NIH grant to support Baylor, Texas Children's research in C. diff, antibiotic resistance

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