Mumps in a district primary school at the locality of Santa Fe, Bogota (Colombia) 2010.

Abstract

Background. Epidemic parotitis (“mumps”) is a human viral infection which affects mainly the salivary glands; its peak incidence afflicts children 5 to 9-year. At epidemiologic week (EW) 40/2010, the Centro Oriente II Level Hospital received a community report about a mumps outbreak in a District Primary School (DPS), eastwards of the locality of Santa Fe (Bogotá). The hospital’s epidemiology office sent a response team to investigate the situation and to guide prevention & control actions. Methods. The team made an outbreak descriptive study; field investigation included description time-place-person; case-definition as patient with active clinical condition of parotitis; Active Institutional Search (AIS) and house visitations; study variables matched those of the official individual notification report. Data were registered and analyzed using Epi -Info 3.5.1® with frequency, central trend and association measurements. Results. 14 mumps cases were identified: 1 adult and 13(93%) children; 5(35,7%) were girls; median age was 11,9 year (range 7-40). Four cases (28,6%) were confirmed by clinical signs, 10(71,4%) by epidemiologic link; no one was hospitalized. 12 patients (86%) had unknown vaccination status; 11 cases (78%) produced neither the vaccination card nor any additional information. Index case occurred at EW30/2010 and the epidemic peak occurred at EW34/2010; attack rate was 8.1%. Conclusions. Epidemiology office confirmed mumps outbreak, delayed notification and impossibility to verify vaccination records. The response team recommended the DPS to strengthen biosafety measures; and advised local health institution to increase epidemiologic surveillance & control activities, adherence to national mumps protocol, school vaccination and to promote information, communication, education strategies on importance of vaccination and cards right use.