Washington Mumps outbreak surpasses 300 cases

A renascent outbreak of the mumps in Washington has sickened 349 people as of Feb. 1, according to the Washington State Department of Health.

The new count marks a 71-case increase from the Jan. 25 total of 278. Affected counties include Ferry, Grant, King, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston and Yakima.

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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.

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

To learn more about the mumps, click here.

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