title: Mumps exposure of a health care provider working in a neonatal intensive care unit leads to a hospital-wide effort that prevented an outbreak.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Control measures were instituted in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Syracuse, New York, when a neonatologist became ill with mumps after returning from Africa. Two health care providers (HCPs) who worked with the neonatologist developed parotitis within 13 days of exposure. Outbreak control included furloughing the neonatologist and the 2 HCPs until after 5 days of the onset of parotitis, cohorting and isolating all exposed infants in the NICU, and implementing droplet precautions. All susceptible HCPs were immunized, and all HCPs were required to wear surgical masks when within 3 feet of patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five HCPs developed parotitis. The neonatologist and 2 of the HCPs were confirmed cases, and 2 other HCPs did not meet the case definition. Twenty-six HCPs who worked in other units of the hospital besides the NICU developed nonspecific signs and symptoms of illness. Of the 2,904 HCPs tested, 287 (10%) had negative antibody results, and 153 (8%) were age 40 years or older. Of the 287 HCPs with negative antibody titers, 200 (70%) received the mumps-measles-rubella vaccine in response to this effort. No cases of mumps were reported in exposed infants, children, or adult patients during the time of exposure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infection control efforts, including vaccinating susceptible HCPs and instituting droplet precautions, might have prevented mumps infection in the NICU patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY. Electronic address: gilroys@nycap.rr.com.
authors.forename: Shelley A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Gilroy
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY.
authors.forename: Joseph B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Domachowske
authors.affiliation: Infection Control and Department of Nursing, Crouse Hospital, Syracuse, NY.
authors.forename: Lynette
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Infection Control and Department of Nursing, Crouse Hospital, Syracuse, NY.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.affiliation: Infection Control and Department of Nursing, Crouse Hospital, Syracuse, NY.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bode
authors.affiliation: Infection Control and Department of Nursing, Crouse Hospital, Syracuse, NY.
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Costello
authors.affiliation: Infection Control and Department of Nursing, Crouse Hospital, Syracuse, NY.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sikora
authors.affiliation: Infection Control and Department of Nursing, Crouse Hospital, Syracuse, NY.
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Richey
authors.affiliation: Infection Control and Department of Nursing, Crouse Hospital, Syracuse, NY.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.affiliation: Infection Control and Department of Nursing, Crouse Hospital, Syracuse, NY.
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stahl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009107:Mumps / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D009109:Mumps virus / Q000276:immunology; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D010356:Patient Isolation; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine