At least 100 talmidim of a Bnei Brak yeshiva have been sent home, diagnosed with the mumps. The yeshiva, numbering 160 talmidim, is affiliated with a chassidus. With most of the talmidim being ill, the rabbonim are considering closing the beis medrash temporarily.
25 talmidim from the Koidinov Yeshiva were sent home with mumps, and last week, talmidim of Yeshiva Ohr Shmuel in Jerusalem were sent home as well, also diagnosed with the mumps.
In line with the above report, Health Ministry officials report an increase in reported cases of mumps in Israel, 102 since September. There were 4 cases during the same period in 2008 and no reported case during the same period in 2007. Ministry officials report the main outbreak appears to be in yeshivas in the chareidi sector. Ministry officials urge parents to have their children vaccinated against the illness.
Mumps may present with painful swelling of the salivary glands. Painful testicular swelling (orchitis) and rash may also occur. The symptoms are generally not severe in children. In teenage males and men, complications such as infertility or compromised fertility are more common, although still rare in absolute terms.
NOTE: The error in Sunday’s posting regarding Ohr Shmuel yeshiva was corrected online early morning Israel time.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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Infection of one testicle occurs in about 25% of post-pubertal males who have mumps, and infection of both testicles happens in about 4%. This complication is accompanied by a new bout of high fever and is painful for a few days, but it never causes impotence and only very rarely impairs subsequent fertility. Not to be outdone by the boys, in 7% of post-pubertal girls with mumps, there is painful infection of one or both ovaries, but fertility is not impaired. Despite these reassuring data, mumps should certainly be avoided if possible, and the best way is to make sure our children and grandchildren get their measles-mumps-rubella vaccines at the recommended dates. Those not fully immunized should get their catch-up doses as soon as possible, especially if they live in communities where mumps is occurring. This is not a guarantee that they will never catch mumps in the future, but it lowers the risk by well over 90%.
Paul E. Slater, MD, Jerusalem