Management and Control Issues Related to Two Mumps Outbreaks in Houston: Future Implications.

This article focuses on two mumps outbreaks in Houston during 2019 among migrants at the Houston Contract Detention Facility (HCDF) and inmates at the Harris County Jail (HCJ). Mumps, a highly contagious viral disease spread by airborne droplets, affected largely unvaccinated populations in these crowded custodial settings, with 42 cases investigated at HCDF and 60 at HCJ. Control measures included enhanced surveillance, isolation of housing units, educational outreach, and administration of the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine, though vaccine acceptance was low (around 30%). The outbreaks highlighted challenges such as delayed public health notification, population turnover, and limited vaccination documentation, underscoring the need for ongoing collaboration between public health authorities and custodial facilities to improve outbreak response and prevention.