A prolonged mumps outbreak among highly vaccinated Aboriginal people in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
OBJECTIVE
To describe a prolonged outbreak of mumps in the Kimberley region of Western Australia in 2007-2008.


METHODS
Descriptive analysis of all mumps cases notified to the WA Notifiable Infectious Diseases Database for the period 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008.


METHODS
Notified cases of mumps by patients' place of residence, age, Indigenous or non-Indigenous ethnicity, vaccination status and method of diagnosis.


RESULTS
84% (153/183) of mumps notifications in WA over the study period occurred in the Kimberley region or were directly linked to Kimberley cases. Median age of patients was 18 years (range, 2-63 years), and 54% of patients were aged less than 20 years. Almost all (92%) were Australian Aboriginal people; 67% (102/153) had received at least one dose of mumps vaccine, and 52% had received two doses. The highest notification rate (1816 cases per 100,000 population) was in the Aboriginal 15-19-years age group, and 92% of these patients had received at least one dose of mumps vaccine. Almost all outbreak cases (94%) were laboratory confirmed. Genotyping was performed on 20 mumps virus isolates: all were genotype J.


CONCLUSIONS
A prolonged outbreak of mumps occurred in a well defined, highly vaccinated, predominantly young Aboriginal population in the remote Kimberley region of WA. This outbreak raises questions about the effectiveness and scheduling of the current vaccine (which is genotype A-derived), especially for Aboriginal people. Surveillance of circulating mumps virus genotypes and neutralisation studies will help in evaluating the protection provided by the current vaccine against genotypically different strains.
Bangor-Jones
Revle D
RD
WA Department of Health, Perth, WA, Australia. revle.bangor-jones@health.wa.gov.au
Dowse
Gary K
GK
Giele
Carolien M
CM
van Buynder
Paul G
PG
Hodge
Meredith M
MM
Whitty
Mary M
MM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009107:Mumps / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009108:Mumps Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014611:Vaccination; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D009108:Mumps Vaccine