So far this year, 746 cases of mumps have been detected nationwide, a figure that is out of the “average” of recent years, ranging from 100 to 300 cases.
The outbreak in the prisons “triggered” the increase, since 496 of the patients are in this group (403 inmates and 93 officials).
But even under “normal conditions” the data are considered, since 250 of those diagnosed are common population. This was confirmed by the Ministry of Health, indicating that Alajuela and San José are the provinces with the highest incidence.
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), 54 cases were diagnosed in Costa Rica in 2017, for 2016 the figure was 75 and between 2013-2014 there were no patients with this virus.
Mumps’ symptoms are facial pain, fever, headache, sore throat, loss of appetite, testicular inflammation, intermittent chills, difficulty swallowing and joint pain.