Mumps in a boarding school: description of an outbreak and control measures.
BACKGROUND
The number of cases of mumps in the UK has increased during 2004-2005. Understanding why some people are more susceptible to mumps infection will help target vaccination and other control measures in the future. This paper describes a mumps outbreak in a boarding school in Scotland (October to November 2004).


OBJECTIVE
To describe the characteristics of cases in a mumps outbreak; and to conduct a case-control study looking at the effect of previous measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination.


METHODS
Descriptive epidemiology.


METHODS
Clinical, laboratory and surveillance data.


METHODS
A private school with 600 boarding and day pupils.


RESULTS
Fifty cases were notified to the public health department as having mumps. Twenty of the cases (40%) were confirmed virologically, all born between 1987-1991. A matched case-control study was conducted to explore the effect of prior MMR vaccination. Compared to no vaccine, MMR protected against mumps (odds ratio = 0.7), two doses offering best protection (odds ratio = 0.5), but the study was not large enough to detect a statistically significant difference.


CONCLUSIONS
Some children and young people in the UK are currently incompletely vaccinated. This outbreak illustrates the potential of a mumps outbreak to disrupt the medical, educational and social life of a school. All children should be vaccinated with two doses of MMR vaccine before school entry. Children and young people born between 1979-1991 should be given the necessary additional dose(s) of MMR vaccine.
Mackenzie
Douglas G
DG
Public Health Department, NHS Fife, Cameron House, Windygates, Leven, Fife KY8 5RG. gm@nhs.net
Craig
George
G
Hallam
Nicholas F
NF
Moore
Janelle
J
Stevenson
Janet
J
D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006801:Humans; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009107:Mumps / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012574:Schools; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology
D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine