Oregon health officials work to curb spread of mumps

LA GRANDE, Ore. (AP) – Oregon health officials are warning people to be wary of the mumps outbreak that continues to hit Union County.

The La Grande Observer reports (http://bit.ly/2sfcxTP ) the Center for Human Development reported Monday there are four confirmed mumps cases in Union County and five presumptive cases in which patients have symptoms of the disease, but lab tests have not yet confirmed it.

It is not known where the outbreak originated and there have not been any new cases confirmed since Monday.

Statewide, at least six other counties have been hit by mumps this year. Jonathan Modie, lead communications officer for the Oregon Health Authority, said 38 cases were reported in Oregon through April.

Twenty-one of these cases were in Marion County. Lane County had the second-highest total through April, with five cases, and Multnomah and Clackamas counties were next with three cases each. Crook, Washington, Deschutes and Josephine counties had a combined six cases through April.

State Health Authority records indicate there were 21 mumps cases in Oregon in 2016 and three in 2015.