CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two recent cases of mumps have been confirmed to be employees of Lowe’s corporate headquarters in Iredell County in the customer support center, Lowe's officials confirmed to Channel 9.
Lowe’s officials told Channel 9 they have provided employees with information about treating mumps and have asked them to check their personal vaccination records and make sure they’re up to date on the vaccine and made them aware of the places it’s available at.
[ Click here to read letter from Lowe's to employees about mumps ]
At the Lowe’s customer support center employees have taken additional housekeeping measures with providing more sanitizing.
6 probably, two confirmed cases of mumps in area counties
Daily sanitizing is an everyday practice at K&J Loving Daycare and with cases of mumps occurring in the area, Kim Bynum says she is even more mindful of protecting herself and the kids she cares for.
"I constantly wash the children's hands and sanitize the toys to keep germs down," Bynum said.
Those are things the Cabarrus County Health Department said everyone should keep in mind in light of the mumps outbreak.
"It's important that people know that it's going on. What we will be doing is looking at why we have cases that we haven't had and is it a vaccination gap?" said William Pilkington of the Cabarrus Health Alliance.
Two cases have been confirmed in Mecklenburg and Iredell counties. Six other possible cases are being investigated. Cabarrus County is waiting on test results from a possible case.
"Quite possibly they are linked, but we don't know that yet," said Pilkington.
An expert on the virus from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill explained why we may be seeing the cases now.
"The kind of mumps that circulates in these outbreaks is genetically different than what's used in the vaccine," said Ravi Jhaveri of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease at UNC Chapel Hill.
He emphasized it's still important for people to get vaccinated.
"Patients may get infected with mumps, but patients vaccinated don't end up with the most severe complications," he said.
Lincoln County health officials also investigated a possible case, but Thursday they told Channel 9 the test results came back negative.
A case of mumps has been confirmed in Mecklenburg County, according to health officials. The case is related to two cases in Iredell County.
Health officials said Thursday that there are reports of five other probable cases in Mecklenburg, Iredell and Cabarrus counties.
Lincoln County officials told Channel 9 on Thursday that they were investigating a possible mumps case, which turned out to not be a case of mumps.
All three of the confirmed patients were adults who work together, officials said. Officials said the cases were related to each other -- the people knew each other or worked together.
Health officials said some of the people affected were vaccinated. The vaccinations are effective but not 100 percent. Being vaccinated makes the symptoms less severe.
Mecklenburg and Iredell health departments are working together to identify and investigate individuals who demonstrate symptoms that resemble those caused by mumps.
“The infection is a little more severe so people tend to be knocked out with it a little bit longer than just the common cold,” Mecklenburg County Health Director Dr. Marcus Plescia said.
The number of reported mumps cases annually can range from a few hundred to several thousand in the United States.
Mumps is spread by droplets of saliva or mucus from the mouth, nose or throat of an infected person, usually when the person coughs, sneezes or talks. Items used by an infected person, such as cups or soft drink cans, can also be contaminated with the virus, which may spread to others if those items are shared.
Most mumps transmissions likely occur before the salivary glands begin to swell and within five days after the swelling begins.
Anyone who demonstrates mumps symptoms, including fever, headache, loss of appetite, low-grade fever, muscle ache, pain or discomfort and tenderness and/or swelling of the glands below the ears should contact a physician.
There is no treatment for mumps; antibiotics are not effective against a virus. Some medications can help relieve symptoms.
The best defense is to get vaccinated and practice good hygiene habits, including regularly washing your hands with soap and water, sneezing and coughing into a tissue or your elbow and avoid sharing when you or someone else is eating or drinking.
There are two vaccines that prevent mumps: MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox, also known as varicella).
For more information about mumps, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website here.
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