The Hawaii Department of Health increased its case count for an ongoing mumps outbreak to 500 Thursday.
The new count marks a 216-case increase since Aug. 24. State health officials have been investigating the outbreak since March.
The bulk of the infections (409) have occurred in Honolulu. Officials also identified 46 cases on the island of Hawaii, 43 cases on Kauai and two cases on Maui. In 2016, the state experienced a total of 10 mumps cases.
The mumps is commonly spread through sneezing, coughing and the sharing of common items, like cups, which come into contact with saliva. The illness is characterized by swollen salivary glands, fever and headache.
To learn more about the mumps, click here.
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