AN OUTBREAK of the potentially-deadly mumps virus has seen almost as many cases reported in North Yorkshire during the first three months of this year as in the entire preceding year.

Health chiefs have revealed that 331 cases of the disease were reported in January through to March, compared with 347 cases in the whole of 2004.

News of the dramatic increases came as parents of pupils at a York secondary school were urged to make sure their children are vaccinated against the disease after an outbreak.

Joseph Rowntree School dispatched an alert to parents following two confirmed and several suspected cases of mumps among older pupils. Parents were advised to get their children immunised if they had not received both doses of MMR.

But parent Andrew Vass, of Rowntree Avenue, Clifton, said there was confusion at his GP's surgery over whether there was enough vaccine available to immunise his son 14-year-old son Dominic.

He has now called for better communication between the Department of Health and frontline health workers, especially when children's lives could be at risk from an epidemic of mumps.

Mr Vass, 41, whose son did not receive the second MMR jab due to family problems, was told by his surgery that only priority cases, such as babies and pregnant women, were currently receiving the jab.

He said: "I was only doing what the school told me to do, yet I rang up to get the jab for Dominic and I couldn't.

"There are 1,200 pupils at the school so it will obviously affect a lot of people. I was told to wait a couple of weeks, but he could have the disease by then - it seems to be everywhere."

It has now emerged that health officials in the city were told ten days ago that new supplies of the measles mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine had been secured, but Mr Vass's surgery, Priory Medical Group, did not find out until last Thursday.

Mumps, which can cause infertility in post-pubescent males, swelling on the brain and even death, has seen a dramatic increase across the UK.

Of the 331 cases in North Yorkshire so far this year, 188 of them have been in the York and Selby area. Last May, 105 students from the University of York and York St John College were reported to have come down with the illness.

Dr Ebere Okereke, of the North Yorkshire Health Protection Unit, said: "The Department of Health did alert us that supplies were running slightly low because there was an increase in demand.

"This GP is probably not aware that we have now been reassured of adequate supply. They should have received that information directly in the same way that I did."

Helen Duffy, from Priory Medical Group, said a Department of Health notification arrived on Thursday saying that new vaccine orders could now be made.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said they had written to GPs and immunisation co-ordinators on April 5 to tell them supplies were low and on April 13 to tell them supplies had been secured.

The symptoms of mumps:

THESE are the signs to look out for if you suspect a member of your family may have mumps:

Early symptoms are uncommon but may include fever, loss of appetite, achiness, and headache. Temperature is moderately high, usually lasting for three to four days.

Swelling of the glands under and in front of the ear usually starts on one side and then progresses to the other side rapidly. Swelling may last from seven to ten days. Eating or drinking acidic foods causes much discomfort.

Other symptoms may include testicular pain (in males), abdominal pain, seizures, stiff neck, and difficulty swallowing.

Orchitis is the most feared complication of mumps. This condition causes severe pain, swelling, and tenderness in a male's testicles.

As part of the childhood immunisation programme a dose of MMR vaccine is administered at the age of 13 months, followed by a pre-school dose between the ages of three and five.

A Selby and York Primary Care Trust spokesman said the increase in reported cases of mumps in the area was dramatic, but a clearer picture would emerge in June when analysis of the second quarter results took place. She said: "It's too early to speculate about the trend or the reasons for it, but it could be because of increased awareness, increased reporting or a genuine increase in cases."

Updated: 10:45 Monday, April 25, 2005