City health officials have confirmed an outbreak of mumps among a small group of children in Brooklyn.
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has been investigating the outbreak among children from Borough Park who attended summer camp in Upstate New York, officials said.
There are 57 confirmed or probable cases of mumps identified in Brooklyn since August 21, 2009, health officials said.
Mumps, a viral disease, can cause painful swelling of the salivary glands or [painful testicular swelling and rashes may also occur. The symptoms are generally not severe in children. In teenage males and men, complications such as infertility or subfertility are more common. The disease usually runs its course and the infected person recovers on his or her own.
Mumps is a contagious disease that is spread from person-to-person through contact with respiratory secretions such as saliva from an infected person.
Most children are vaccinated against mumps.
