Mumps epidemic

The FCO have advised that since the beginning of 2009, 1,085 persons infected with the mumps virus have been registered in Macedonia. Most of them are registered in Skopje - 288, in Kavadarci - 160 and in Prilep - 137, the Institute for Health Protection (RZZZ) informs. RZZZ and the Viral Diseases Commission recommend epidemic surveillance measures to be heightened, new patients infected with mumps to be constantly registered in order to be isolated and treated adequately and the population to receive appropriate heath education, especially pupils and students. The number of mumps patients in Macedonia began increasing in late 2007. In the course of 2008, 12 epidemics of viral mumps were reported in Veles, Kocani, Vinica, Strumica, Kriva Palanka, Kumanovo, Kavadraci, Sveti Nikole, Probistip, Radovis, Valandovo and Skopje. A total of 5,913 persons infected with mumps were registered by the end of 2008, which is the biggest number of registered cases in the past 25 years.