Surveillance for Parotitis during the 2014-2015 Influenza Season

Date Sent: 01/16/2015 12:52 PM EST
Sender: Michigan Health Alert Network
Subject: Surveillance for Parotitis during the 2014-2015 Influenza Season

Message:
Since December 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been notified of diagnosed parotitis in persons with lab-confirmed influenza in multiple states, including Michigan with two cases. Parotitis, inflammation of the parotid salivary gland, is an uncommon complication of influenza. The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH), in collaboration with the CDC, is conducting surveillance for current and retrospective parotitis cases (from October 1, 2014) that meet the case definition below.

To assist CDC with incident case finding, MDCH is asking providers to report to their local health department any cases that meet this case definition. When local health departments are notified about parotitis or suspect mumps cases, please contact the MDCH Communicable Disease Division (517-335-8165) to report and to arrange for specimen collection.

Case definition

1) Lab-confirmed influenza

AND

2) Clinical diagnosis of parotitis or clinical signs and symptoms compatible with parotitis (i.e., "swelling of parotid gland or salivary glands," "blurring of mandibular margin")

AND

3) Symptom onset on or after October 1, 2014

Specimens requested for testing at the MDCH Bureau of Laboratories (BOL)

Health care providers are asked to collect a buccal swab (for mumps testing) and a nasopharyngeal swab, and oropharyngeal swab if possible (for respiratory virus testing) on patients presenting with parotitis:

1) Nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swab - in tube of viral transport medium (VTM)

2) Buccal mucosa swab on the side of the affected parotid gland - ship in an individual tube of VTM separate from the NP specimen

Please complete an MDCH BOL lab requisition form, DCH-0583, request testing for both influenza and mumps, submit form with specimens, and send to the MDCH BOL. BOL will also be conducting influenza testing on any available specimens of retrospective negative mumps cases that were tested at BOL since October 1, 2014.

Michigan Department of Community Health

Communicable Disease Division