If you're a hockey fan, you are probably well aware of the mumps
outbreak going on in the NHL. I'm a
football fan....so I had no clue, not until Canada's beloved Sidney
Crosby came down with the mumps this week.
That announcement hit my Facebook stream like a cross check from behind....
The outbreak seems to have started among the Anaheim Ducks
in mid-October. The Ducks played the
Minnesota Wild, the Wild then played the St. Louis Blues, the Blues played the
Rangers....and so forth and so on.
Apparently, the Ducks missed the alert sent from the local health unit that
had been issued in September. With the
announcement of Crosby falling victim, the official tally of confirmed cases in
the NHL is 13.
As noted by the transmission within the NHL, mumps is a
contagious infection that is caused by the mumps virus. It spreads from person to person via droplets
of saliva or mucus from the mouth, nose or throat of an infected person,
usually when the person coughs, sneezes or talks, but I suppose spitting would
work too! The mumps virus can also be
spread indirectly when someone with mumps touches items or surfaces without
washing their hands and if someone else touches the same surface and rubs their
mouth or nose.
The incubation period of mumps can range from 12 - 25 days
so the chances are highly likely that a few more NHL players will end up with
mumps for Christmas and be wishing they got a lump of coal instead! People with mumps are considered most
infectious a few days before the onset of the characteristic swelling of the
parotid glands to 5 days after their glands begin to swell. As a vaccine preventable disease, mumps is
generally rare in North America. In 1964
there was an estimated 212,000 cases while in 2012 only 229 were reported. While people who have had mumps in the past
are considered to be protected for life, there are a few unlikely individuals
who are infected again.
The best way to prevent the mumps is by being
vaccinated. Two doses of the vaccine
provides a 88% effectiveness in prevention the disease. Other means to prevent infection include
minimizing close contact with infected individuals, ensuring those infected
stay at home and limit contact with others, frequent hand hygiene, covering
your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing - or sneezing or coughing into
your sleeve, refrain from sharing drinks or eating utensils and regularly clean
surfaces that are frequently touched with a registered disinfectant.
Environmental hygiene is particularly important as the virus
can live on contaminated surfaces (e.g. door knobs, faucet handles, light
switches....locker room benches) or personal items (e.g. cups, utensils or
water bottles) for hours or days. These
surfaces can help spread the virus to those who are not immune, especially if there
is sharing of contaminated items or touching of contaminated surfaces and then
touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Perhaps the NHL needs to look at their cleaning and disinfection
programs within the locker room and personal hygiene measures while sitting in
close proximity on the bench. An
interesting thought (being a new hockey mom), since I know firsthand that
covering your mouth while wearing a hockey helmet can prove to be difficult!
Bugging Off!
Nicole
