Disease

Mumps - USA

Washington - Seattle & King County has reported nine confirmed or probable mumps cases in King County, all in the Auburn area, with an additional five cases being investigated. Eight of the nine mumps cases are among children between 8-17 years of age, with one adult case, 23 years of age.

Arkansas - While Arkansas has seen the most mumps cases of any state this year (1652), most being reported in the northwest corner of the state, only a handful of cases have been linked to Arkansas colleges and universities to date. Today, the Arkansas Department of Health has confirmed two cases of mumps involving University of Arkansas.

Missouri - The mumps outbreak continues at the University of Missouri as the school’s Student Health Centre puts the total confirmed and probable mumps cases at 128 through Nov. 30. The Health Centre says the majority of cases continue to have links to students in Greek organizations.

New York - In a follow-up to the mumps outbreak at the State University of New York at New Paltz (SUNY New Paltz) in Ulster County, NY, school health officials have reported an additional 12 confirmed cases in the past week, bringing the total cases to 32.

Streptococcus - Alaska

Four Alaskans have died this year in an outbreak of invasive strep bacteria that has mostly affected the homeless and Alaska Natives in the state’s two largest cities, the state’s epidemiologist said Tuesday. Since then the invasive bacteria has caused 28 cases of severe illness — 10 in Fairbanks and 18 in Anchorage. Results are pending on another three suspected cases in Anchorage.

Among the total, 15 involved homeless people in Anchorage and two homeless people in Fairbanks. Two of the deaths occurred in Fairbanks and two in Anchorage. Another three probable cases in Anchorage have not been confirmed.