Use of social media as a communication tool during a mumps outbreak — New York City, 2015

On August 16, 2015, a case of parotitis in a resident of the Rockaways neighborhood of Queens, New York City (NYC), was reported to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) as a suspected mumps case. Subsequent investigations by DOHMH discovered an outbreak of mumps in the Rockaways, with 52 confirmed and probable mumps cases. DOHMH conducted a Facebook advertisement campaign providing information about mumps and the outbreak, which was targeted to Facebook users in the Rockaways neighborhood. The advertisement was shown to 86,111 persons during an approximately 2-week period and provided a timely and inexpensive means of effectively communicating with a large, targeted population. After the case of parotitis was reported on August 16, 2015, DOHMH identified two additional cases through investigation of the patient’s close contacts. These cases were the first indication to DOHMH of a mumps outbreak in the Rockaways. Because the first patient mentioned other persons in the neighborhood with parotitis, DOHMH contacted health care providers in the Rockaways for information about other patients with parotitis and any mumps laboratory testing not previously reported.

DOHMH conducted investigations through interviews and review of medical records. Diagnostic testing included identification of mumps immunoglobulin M (IgM) in serum and detection of mumps virus RNA by real-time reverse–transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) of buccal swabs. DOHMH used criteria from the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to classify cases as confirmed, probable, or discarded (1). Cases were identified through routine provider and laboratory reports to DOHMH; six additional cases were identified through retrospective case finding. Although mumps is a nationally notifiable disease, providers had not reported these cases to DOHMH because they did not suspect mumps or because IgM testing was negative and rRT-PCR testing was not done.