PUBLIC health experts in East Lancashire today revealed they were fighting the biggest mumps epidemic to hit the UK in several years.

More than 80 cases have been reported since May and health officials have warned that the outbreak is not over.

The cases have occurred at three high schools in Hyndburn although experts believe the epidemic could yet reach other East Lancashire schools.

Today Dr Stephen Morton, East Lancashire's public health director, admitted that the health authority should have informed more people about the epidemic earlier.

He said: "In retrospect, it would have been better if we had reported the matter to the September meeting of the health authority.

"It was only in September that we realised that this was the biggest epidemic in this country this year and, in fact, for several years." The mumps cases have hit youngsters aged between 12 and 14, most of whom have never had the triple MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine which was not introduced until 1988.

But Dr Morton said anybody who has not had the MMR vaccine, including adults, could now have a dose if they wished. Mumps can cause sterility in one in five adults who catch it and can also cause inflammation of the ovaries in adult women.

The first mumps case was reported by a Hyndburn GP in May and an investigation by the health authority then revealed that there were 15 year eight pupils, from three tutor groups, off sick from Hollins High School, Accrington. Two weeks later, a further five cases of mumps were reported from Moorhead High School, Accrington.

Towards the end of July, Rhyddings High, Oswaldtwistle, also reported a few pupils off with mumps.

Laboratory tests have showed that one of the cases is genotype F which has never been reported in the UK before and is more common in China and the Far East.

Local GPs, school nurses and the parents of pupils at the schools have received letters about the epidemic.

Dr Morton said the epidemic has highlighted the importance of MMR vaccination.

Mumps is a virus which causes fever and swelling of the main pair of salivary glands causing a hamster-like appearance in the face. Occasionally a mild form of meningitis may occur.

In men, mumps can cause a painful inflammation of the testicles. Only one testicle is affected, but this may become swollen.

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