A call to action: Addressing the mumps surge in Itanagar with urgency and unity

Document Type : Letter to the Editor

Authors

1 Department of Public Health, Daffodil International University, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh

2 Department of Social Work, Central University of Rajasthan, India

3 Department of HIV and Infectious Diseases, Jhpiego, an affiliate of John Hopkins University, Abuja, Nigeria

4 Department of Public health, Daffodil International University, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh

Abstract

Itanagar, India, has experienced a significant outbreak of mumps, a contagious viral infection caused by the Paramyxovirus virus. The disease, primarily affecting children and adolescents, is characterized by fever and painful swelling of salivary glands. It can lead to complications such as deafness, orchitis, oophoritis, pancreatitis, and meningoencephalitis. Despite being considered a child's disease, mumps has been observed in adolescents and adults in countries where childhood immunization has been routine. Mumps re-infection can occur after immunization or natural infection. However, secondary vaccine failure and waning immunity may lead to future outbreaks. Mumps is considered an insignificant public health problem in India due to poor documentation, complications, and patient follow-up data. The government must increase funding for mumps research and include mumps antigen as part of the Universal Immunization Program (UIP) to reduce the disease burden and related complications. Mumps poses a threat to global safety and requires supportive treatment, ventilation administration, and sustainable surveillance systems. The recent mumps outbreak in Itanagar underscores the need for reinforcing public health systems and effective disease prevention measures.

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