New figures have revealed the number of new cases of mumps across the Midwest so far this year is eight times higher than the total figure for 2018.
HSE Midwest has revealed that 227 patients have been diagnosed with the viral infection, which is already well ahead of last year’s combined figure, which itself had eclipsed 2018.
The mumps outbreak currently sweeping across Ireland is continuing to grow, with new figures showing that the past week alone has seen 265 new cases nationwide diagnosed.
This brings to 1,254 the total number of new cases of the highly contagious infection since the beginning of this year – which is four times the figure of the same period last year.
Here in the Midwest, 227 patients have received a mumps diagnosis since January 1st.
By comparison, the total number of cases across Clare, Limerick and Tipperary for the entire of 2019 was 214, while the 2018 figure was just 29.
Over the past week alone, 47 diagnoses were confirmed in the Midwest – a figure that’s only higher in areas covered by HSE South and HSE East.
