Spokane County Sees Spike in Mumps Cases

SPOKANE (AP) — Spokane County has reported 24 confirmed or probable cases of mumps, a sharp increase from last week when there were only nine.

The Spokesman-Review reports that 17 of the people affected by the disease were fully vaccinated, while the other seven people had an unknown vaccination status. Most of the people who contracted mumps were children.

County Regional Health District epidemiologist Mark Springer says the county usually only has one or two mumps cases a year.

The county's spike in mumps cases comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 151 cases statewide between late December and early January. That is more than the rest of the nation combined for that period.

Health officials expect to see new mumps cases through February.