Mumps in a community with low vaccination coverage in the Netherlands

The incidence of mumps in the Netherlands has increased since August 2007. Until mid May 2008, 89 individuals were found positive for mumps virus infection by laboratory testing at the Centre for Infectious Diseases Control (CIb) of the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), compared to less than 10 cases per year between 2005 and 2007. Mumps is not a notifiable disease in the Netherlands and surveillance is mainly based on monitoring laboratory test requests and their results offered by the CIb and other laboratories. As only a minority of cases is offered laboratory testing, however, the extent of the current mumps outbreak is unknown.