Health district declares end to mumps outbreak

MOSES LAKE — The mumps epidemic in Grant County is over.

According to a news release from the Grant County Health District, it has been 50 days — two incubation periods — since the last reported mumps case in the county, allowing health officials to confidently pronounce the end of outbreak.

“Grant County’s last case of mumps was identified on May 9,” almost two months ago, the news release said.

Since the beginning of 2017, 45 cases of mumps of were identified in Grant County — 44 of those at the Columbia Basin Job Corps.

“The staff at (the health district) would like to thank Columbia Basin Job Corps leadership and staff,” the news release stated. “Because of their urgent cooperation and diligent assistance mumps did not spread into the community.”

The district said staff will continue to monitor the mumps situation, and recommends that anyone who has not received the MMR (mumps, measles and rubella) vaccine be vaccinated.

According to the Washington State Department of Health, 878 cases of mumps were diagnosed in Washington since October of last year, with most of those cases — over 600 — found in King and Spokane counties.