Mumps Outbreak in a Marshallese Community - Denver Metropolitan Area, Colorado, 2016-2017

Abstract

In January 2017, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) identified four epidemiologically linked cases of mumps among persons from a Marshallese community who were members of the same church in the Denver metropolitan area. During 2016-2017, sizable outbreaks of mumps reported in Arkansas, Hawaii, and Washington also affected the Marshallese population (1). CDPHE, the Tri-County Health Department (TCHD), and Denver Public Health collaborated to conduct an outbreak investigation during January-March 2017 using active and passive surveillance that identified 17 confirmed and 30 probable cases. Public health actions included conducting measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination clinics at local Marshallese churches; these resulted in the vaccination of 126 persons with ≥1 doses of MMR vaccine. Implementation of active surveillance and support from local Marshallese church leaders in promoting vaccination programs likely contributed to interruption of the outbreak.

FIGURE 1

Probable and confirmed cases of mumps (N = 47), by date of symptom onset and measles-mumps-rubella vaccination outbreak response clinics ─ Colorado, 2016–2017

FIGURE 2

Geographic density* of outbreak mumps cases (n = 46),^† by geocoded residential address^§ and location of measles-mumps-rubella vaccination clinics held during the public health response — Colorado, 2016–2017 * Gradient indicates the relative number of cases; darkest shading indicates highest density. ^† One outbreak case occurred in a patient who was geographically isolated from all other cases and was suppressed from the calculation of the density surface to protect patient privacy. ^§ Density surface is calculated by a kernel density function using the geocoded residential addresses of confirmed mumps cases.