A MUMPS outbreak in North East Lincolnshire has seen cases soar – with 1,333 per cent more so far this year compared to the whole of 2008.

The Health Protection Agency reports cases of mumps in the area have risen from three in the whole of 2008 to 43 in first half of the year.

However, most of those new cases have been diagnosed in the last five weeks.

The majority of the latest cases have been found in people aged between 15 and 24, who may not have received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab as children.

Now health bosses are urging teens and young adults who have not had the required two doses of the vaccine to get immunised by their GP.

Tony Hill, director of public health for North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus, said: "We want them to get the vaccine and we are also saying to parents of young children that they need to get them immunised, too.

"Mumps can be a very serious illness. Most of the time it's quite mild, but it can certainly be very unpleasant, and in the most serious cases it can cause sterility in men.

"It's certainly not something to ignore."

The mumps virus, which causes swelling of the salivary glands, fever, headache and in some cases, swelling of the testicles, is a notifiable disease – meaning doctors are required by law to report suspected infections to the HPA.

However, as it takes 14 to 21 days for the symptoms of mumps to develop, the true figure of how many people are affected by the disease is as yet unknown.

Ben Johnson, 20, from Cleethorpes, has spent the last week in bed with the bug.

He said: "I'm not surprised there's been such massive increase as I know a few people who have had it, and it's been doing the rounds for a while.

"The symptoms are pretty unpleasant, and I've been at home in bed for the best part of a week, but I'm on the mend now. I would recommend to anyone who hasn't had the MMR jab to do it now, as having the mumps is not a nice way to spend your summer."

Further information on mumps can be found on the HPA website at www.hpa.org.uk.