Mumps virus outbreak related to a water pipe (narghile) shared smoking

This study describes a mumps outbreak among a group of young people who shared a same narghile to smoking. Saliva and blood samples were obtained from 3 cases for RT-PCR and serology respectively.

The notification of a mumps case started an epidemiological investigation. Information of other 6 additional symptomatic persons who had gathered with the case in a discotheque where they smoking in a same narghile was achieved. RT-PCR positive samples were genotyped by sequencing.

The 7 patients resided in 3 different municipalities, and they do not have get together for more than a month until the meeting in the discotheque. Four cases were confirmed by RT-PCR and/or IgM determinations. The genomic investigation showed identical nucleic sequences.

This outbreak is consequence of the common use of a narghile to smoking. The public usage of these water pipes should be regulated.