Mumps virus is a moderately to highly contagious enveloped RNA virus belonging to the family Paramyxoviridae. 1 Mumps is spread through respiratory droplets and contact with contaminated fomites. 1 Clinical disease manifests as acute, painful parotitis in approximately two thirds of infected individuals. Complications of mumps infection most commonly include meningitis, encephalitis and orchitis. Rare but significant sequelae include deafness or hearing loss, sterility and death. 1 The incubation period for mumps is 12 to 25 days, and cases are considered contagious from 1 to 2 days before parotitis onset until 4 to 5 days after. [2][3][4][5] The annual incidence of mumps in Canadians has declined substantially since the introduction of mumps-containing vaccine. 6 Despite the success of vaccination in preventing mumps, outbreaks continue to occur. [6][7][8][9] Transmission of mumps may be facilitated by environments in which there is crowding (e.g., universities). 1,7,10 Indeed, groups identified as at high risk for mumps infection by the Canadian National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) include students at educational institutions and military personnel. 6 While not specifically mentioned, prisoners may represent another population vulnerable to mumps due to crowding and close living conditions. The management of mumps in a correctional setting has not been well documented in the medical literature. This report describes the management of a mumps outbreak in a medium-security correctional centre in Manitoba, Canada from January to March, 2009. METHODS Outbreak identification Outbreak RecognitionOn February 5, 2009, Manitoba Public Health was notified of a cluster of mumps cases at the Milner Ridge Correctional Centre (MRCC) in Manitoba, Canada. The first case presented on January 12, 2009 with painful swelling in the parotid area and subjective fevers. Additional clinical cases were subsequently detected on January 31 st and February 1 st . From 2004-2008, the average annual number of reported mumps cases in Manitoba was 5 (range 2-10). This represents approximately 0.1 cases per week. The cluster of cases at MRCC was well in excess of the background rate of mumps in Manitoba.

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