In Rockland County about 152 people have been diagnosed with mumps since the summer.

An 11 year old boy who had recently traveled to the UK before attending an upstate New York Jewish summer camp was the fist case. Most of the current cases are from the Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish community.

Several cases have surfaced in Rockland and Orange Counties in New York, Ocean County, New Jersey, and Quebec, Canada.

Mumps is an acute viral disease with fever, and swelling and tenderness of one or more salivary glands. There are complications to mumps like orchitis which has also been reported to be a risk factor for testicular cancer, encephalitis and spontaneous abortion. Mumps can be prevented by vaccination.

Reports state that only 13 per cent had been vaccinated with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine in early childhood out of the 179 cases identified in October end.

Mumps being air-borne the health department is informing people who suspect mumps to stay indoors for five days.

At the highest rate of infection are those children who are not fully vaccinated against mumps.

Since 2006 this is the largest mumps outbreak in the United States.