US Mumps outbreak - Bio - war virus ?

Xymphora has an intriguing tale.... There are reports of a rapidly spreading mumps outbreak centred on Iowa (Pop. 2.9 Mn.) the Chicago Tribune and WAPO and VOA

U.S. government health officials said Wednesday that an outbreak of mumps has hit states in the U.S. Midwest and shows no signs of ending. 1,165 cases of the contagious disease have occurred in the past 4 months according to Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the US Centers for Disease Control (815 in Iowa as I write).

To put the US outbreak into perspective Over 16,000 new cases of mumps were notified in 2004, a fourfold rise compared with 2003. This followed a doubling in the number of cases over the previous year. Over 11,000 of these cases (84 per cent) were among young people aged 15 to 24. The rise for children under 15 was more gradual, nearly doubling over the same period to reach 2,800 cases, the highest level since 1990. The rise is attributed to a reduction in the vaccination with the MMR vaccine subsequent to scares about it's alleged linke with autism.UK Nat Stats on Mumps

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that, on average, only about 250 cases of mumps occur in the United States every year. The current outbreak was first detected in the state of Iowa, in December. Identified by swollen parotid glands in the neck (see pic) and fever.

CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding says the mumps outbreak has spread from Iowa to seven other states and other possible cases are under investigation (incubation is about 14 days and most Iowa cases are aged 15-24). "There are 815 reported cases in Iowa, at least as of our last communication with the Iowa state Health Department, so that by far is the largest number of cases that we're aware of so far. There are 350 cases reported from seven other states, which include Minnesota, Kansas, Illinois, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Missouri and Oklahoma," she said.

Iowa Homeland Security looks after biological terorism and Mary Mincer Hansen, Lucas State Ofc. Bldg, 321 E. 12th Street,Des Moines, IA Tel : 50319-0075 is Director of the Public Health who have information on Mumps here and a continuously updated newsite here. which they say ....Following are current resources provided by the Iowa Department of Public Health on Mumps. This information covers mump disease, prevention and control measures, testing protocols and the scope of the outbreak.

This site will continually post information as it becomes available.

The Iowa University Hygienic Laboratory is continuously adapting to established and emerging public and environmental health threats. The University Hygienic Laboratory currently employs a staff of 235 people (189 full-time, 14 part-time, and 22 temporary employees, as well as 10 student workers). This is possible because the University Hygienic Laboratory's $4 million in state funding leverages more than $12 million from other sources, such as contracts, grants and fees.

As a result it is the focus of a great deal of research on microbial warfare. They have a site about Mumps (Following are current resources provided by the Iowa Department of Public Health on Mumps. This information covers mump disease, prevention and control measures, testing protocols and the scope of the outbreak), as well here , and an excellent continuously updated Nationwide map with graphs / stats of the outbreak here.

A2 writes 17 April 2006: to Cryptome .....http://cryptome.org/

"I was looking up the mumps genome this weekend. Mumps is pretty well-characterized. The seven genes that completely make up its genome have been sequences since 2001. The strains compared to date have been nearly identical. So this new entry as of this 23rd February is (to me) startling:"

Record to support submission of GeneRIFs for a gene not in Entrez Gene. [Mumps virus]
GeneID: 2828643 updated 23-Feb-2006

Here are all the mumps gene entries.

Famously Labour Party Leader Hugh Gaitskell died of Lupus erythematosus (the day following drinking a cupt of tea at the Rusian Embassy in London whilst waiting to process a visa) which it is claimed has viral origins and some similarities with the measles virus, it is claimed he was poisoned but no evidence other than Russian spy Golitsyn's claims supports the theory. Wright in Spycatcher gave further credence to the story but produced no credible evidence.

Now Xymphora alerts us all to the possibility that this may be a strain that has escaped from somewhere ... maybe / maybe not (if it is, it ain't particularly virulent) .... but it is well worth keeping a close look at those stats.

LATE BREAKING NEWS

Federal health authorities said yesterday that they are rushing 25,000 doses of mumps vaccine to the Midwest. (Say, how long has this outbreak been known about ? - 4 months ?)

The CDC detailed 9 NW and AA flights late March first few days of April which may have spread the virus.

Some folks don't take it too seriously however ... others blame the ILLegals.

Bird Flu, West Nile Virus, Plague, SARS, now MUMPS !!!!!! more from the Fear Factory?

So here is the latest map / Graphic that the NYT Art department have just rushed to me


Dubuque County has Pop. of 89,000.

History of the production of the First Mumps Vaccine by Maurice Hilleman from Merck here - highly interesting and educational.