Mumps epidemic hits Dutch Bible belt

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2008/04/mumps_epidemic_hits_dutch_bibl.php

Mumps epidemic hits Dutch Bible belt

Monday 21 April 2008

A mumps epidemic has broken out in the Netherlands for the first time in 20 years, concentrated in the Bible belt between Zeeland and the Veluwe heathlands, the public health institute (RIVM) confirmed.

Many people in the affected area are orthodox Protestants who refuse to have their children vaccinated against mumps and other diseases on religious grounds.

Labour MP Khadija Arib said in a radio programme at the weekend that she will ask the health minister to investigate the possibility of making vaccinations compulsory.

Mumps have been diagnosed in over 60 blood samples over the past few months but because a legal obligation to report incidences will not come into effect until January next year, the extent of the epidemic is unknown, says news agency ANP.

The Bible belt was also hit by polio and measles epidemics in the 1990s.

The RIVM says mumps (fever and swollen neck glands) is not normally dangerous and complications such as meningitis are rare.

? DutchNews.nl

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Mumps epidemic hits Dutch Bible belt

Outbreak of mumps in Biblebelt

From our reporter Broer Scholtens

Published on April 19, 2008

AMSTERDAM - In the Netherlands a mumps epidemic broke out, for the first time in twenty years. The virus is found in the Biblebelt, an area across the Netherlands, of Zeeland to the Veluwe (centre of Holland, ed).

There are relatively many Orthodox-Protestants (in these regions, ed). They are not vaccinated from religion. In the same area earlier outbreaks of polio, measles and rubella were reported.

The laboratory of the Centre for Infectiebestrijding (CIb) found the mumps virus in 61 blood samples. That is probably a tip of the iceberg. GGD's (Regional Health Services, ed) in Zeeland and Rivierenland think that this number actually ten to tens of times higher. A precise estimate is not possible.

Since 1998, the mumps, as the only (infectuous, ed) disease no longer to be reported. Mumpspatiënts GPs need not be reported. This gives the annoyance of CIb Director Roel Coutinho: "The mumps epidemic can not be mapped. " Under the new health law notification is compulsory from 2009.

The current situation is serious, said Coutinho. The disease often leads to serious complications like meningitis.

The mumps epidemic is not only caused by the low vaccination coverage in some villages. Infants and young children don't have complete protection, even after being vaccinated twice, as can be seen now.

The Netherlands Vaccine Institute (NVI) is evaluating if a stronger vaccine should be deployed, or that children might have their second mumps vaccination sooner. Now they get it at the age of 9 years, the NVI thinks at 4 years would be better.

http://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article529076.ece/Uitbraak_van_bof_in_Biblebelt

Edit: These orthodox protestants have more children than the average Dutch family and they have their own schools, so the virus can circulate fast.
In Canada there were outbreaks of mumps recently in Ontario and Alberta. In both provinces live a lot of emigrated orthodox Dutch families, who have frequent contacts with their family in Holland.