FRISCO — Summit County Public Health and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment have confirmed three cases of mumps among Keystone Resort employees in Summit County.
“We are aware of some mumps cases in Summit County and are working with Summit County Public Health,” Division of Disease Control and Public Health Response Communications Specialist Shannon Barbare wrote in an email.
Mumps is a contagious viral disease that causes swelling in the salivary glands in the cheeks, along with fever, fatigue and other symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mumps has a relatively long incubation period of 16-18 days and about one-third of people who have the virus don’t have symptoms, making it more difficult to track. The disease spreads through saliva, meaning it can be contracted through kissing, coughing or sneezing, or touching contaminated surfaces.
In April and May of 2017, six cases of mumps were confirmed among Arapahoe Basin Ski area employees and people with whom they’d had contact.
At the time, Summit County Public Health Nursing Manager Sara Lopez urged adults and children to get vaccinated for measles, mumps and rubella.
Typically, children should receive two doses of the MMR vaccine — one between 12-15 months and one between 4-6 years of age. The vaccine is not 100% effective and can lose efficacy over time, especially for people with compromised immune systems. Adults considered at high risk should get a booster vaccine to bolster immunity if they have not gotten one as an adult.
Deepan Dutta contributed to this report.