Mumps Outbreak: 44 Reported Cases In 4 Cities

SEATTLE, WA - King County's daily tally of mumps cases related to a local outbreak grew again Wednesday.

There are now 44 cases - 7 confirmed, the rest considered probable mumps. On Tuesday, King County health officials announced that the outbreak had spread beyond Auburn, where it had originated, to Kent, Federal, Way, and Pacific. There are now three cases in Kent, and one each in Federal Way and Pacific.

Health officials are urging residents to get vaccinated, saying that it's the best way to avoid the virus - and the best way to avoid spreading the virus. Mumps causes flu-like symptoms, but also painful swelling of the face, head, and neck.

Fifty-nine percent of the people who have come down with mumps were immunized. The vaccine is 88 percent effective. Meanwhile, the Auburn School District is being asked to excuse 200 students from school because they are not vaccinated, KING 5 is reporting.

Also on Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control reported that the U.S. is seeing the most mumps cases in a decade. There were almost 3,000 cases in 45 states as of Nov. 5, the agency reported.

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