Tuesday, Otcober 24, 2017
No suspected cases of mumps have shown up in Opotiki yet, as has occurred in Tauranga and other regions.
Opotiki Community Health Centre, Church Street Surgery and Whakatohea Health Centre all report no cases of the contagious illness.
Opotiki Community Health Centre GP Mark Hayward believes people’s immunity in recent years may be attributable to Opotiki being a “pretty-well vaccinated area”.
He said mumps in male adults could be serious, because it could not only affect the parotid glands but the testicles as well, and could lead to a man becoming sterile.
If one’s immunity level was good after having mumps, it was unlikely they would get them again.