Mumps in Dail
Politicians at risk over outbreak of infection
POLITICIANS were put on official alert yesterday after a case of highly contagious mumps was discovered on the Dail campus.
An emergency circular was issued to all Oireachtas offices from the HSE urging TDS or senators who never had the infection or the MMR vaccination to get the jab.
Anyone working in Leinster House who has mumps are being warned to stay away from work for at least five days. The Houses of the Oireachtas issued a “warn and inform” notice to all offices yesterday morning. It states: “There has been a case of mumps in your workplace and you may have been exposed. “If you have either had mumps or received two doses of the MMR (Measles Mumps Rubella) vaccine, the chance of
Viral infection is highly contagious
Oireachtas developing mumps is very low. Most people older than 40 are immune, typically as a result of natural infection.
“People are infectious for up to seven days before the cheek swelling appears and remain highly infectious for five days after symptoms develop.”
There have been just under 400 cases of mumps nationwide so far this year, the same as in all of last year.
The spread of the infection to the Oireachtas indicates how virulent the current strain has become. Last week, the HSE revealed there were six times more cases reported in the first two months of this year compared to 2018.
And last month alerts were issued in two of Dublin’s universities – Trinity and UCD – after extra cases were discovered on the college campuses.
Mumps causes swelling in the cheeks as it affects the saliva-producing glands. Symptoms include muscle ache, pain in the swollen glands and weakness.
The MMR vaccine was introduced in Ireland in 1988 and Dublin Workers Party councillor Eilis Ryan has renewed her calls for the State to roll out the jab to all children.