MUMPS 3 STRUCK BY BRAIN BUG Mar 11 2004
THREE teenagers have been struck down by meningitis after
catching mumps.
The youngsters were admitted to hospital after contracting
mumps meningitis a viral form of the disease.
The cases, all in Glasgow, emerged after a massive increase
in cases of mumps across Scotland in the past few months.
Glasgow has seen the biggest outbreak. Since December, there
have been 309 suspected cases and 81 confirmed in the city.
In a normal year, there are a 'handful' of suspected cases
and just two to three confirmed.
Most of those who have been affected by mumps are aged16-24
born before the MMR vaccine became available in 1988.
Before the introduction of MMR, mumps was the biggest cause
of viral meningitis in Britain.
Dr Syed Ahmed, a public health consultant in Glasgow,
warned that younger children who had not received the MMR
jab were at risk.
He said: 'The worry is mumps will spread to younger
unimmunised children and we may end up with more cases of
meningitis.'
A spokeswoman for Greater Glasgow NHS Board said yesterday
the meningitis victims, two girls aged 17 and 18 and a 16-year-
old boy, were now 'recovering well'.