New mumps cases are breaking out all over the country, but Washington seems to have a particularly bad problem.
According to the most recent weekly report from the Centers for Disease Control, there were 71 new mumps cases across the country last week and 30 of those were in Washington state. The state with the next highest number of new cases was Texas, which had 14.
These new cases follow news of a mumps outbreak at the University of Washington last month and across King County back in December.
As of March 29, there had been 694 cases of mumps across the state since October, with 256 of them in King County. According to Seattle/King County Public Health, the majority of current cases in the county are in Auburn.
Symptoms of mumps include fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and a loss of appetite followed by swollen cheeks or jaw. The virus is spread by coughing, sneezing, and saliva. If you’re experiencing symptoms, stay! home! If you live in Seattle, you are almost certainly entitled to paid sick time.
