Health officials in Mombasa have urged the public to stick to Covid-19 control measures, especially hand hygiene, to curtail the spread of mumps following its outbreak.

According to Public Health Chief Officer Pauline Oginga, so far 10 positive cases of the viral infection have been confirmed from 12 samples tested, warning the figure could  rise if more samples are tested.

“Mumps is an airborne virus and can be spread by an infected person coughing or sneezing and releasing tiny droplets of contaminated saliva, which can then be breathed in by another person,” Oginga said.

She added: “It can also be spread when an infected person touches their nose or mouth, then transfers the virus onto shared surfaces such as a door handle, or work surface. This is why we insist on the public to uphold hand hygiene and other Covid-19 control measures.”

She further cautioned the public against self-medication, saying anyone that exhibits symptoms  should seek medication from a medical facility.

Increased cases of mumps have been reported mostly amongst learners in various local schools where most of them have presented cases of fever, headache, swollen cheeks and loss of appetite.

Second dose

Oginga advised parents to ensure their children get the Mumps, Measles, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine, generally recommended to children aged 9 to 15 months, with a second dose at 15 months to six years, with at least four weeks between the doses.

While noting that 80 per cent of residents are fully immunised against MMR, she said the county has rolled out defaulter-tracing exercises to ensure those who did not complete the vaccination dose are fully immunised.

According to Oginga, fully vaccinated people can only get mild infection as opposed to unvaccinated persons.

People with mumps are usually most infectious from a few days before their parotid glands swell until