A recent memo from Hockey Alberta suggested that minor hockey players discontinue the practice of handshakes during this year’s rounds of Provincial playoff action, primarily due to an outbreak of Mumps that is currently occurring in Alberta’s South Zone and Edmonton Zone.

Nineteen cases of mumps have been confirmed in Alberta as of Thursday, March 2 for 2017, compared to the previous two years totals of four cases in 2015, and eight cases in 2016 across the entire province.

In 2014, there were only 40 cases of mumps reported in all of Canada.

Mumps is a contagious viral infection that can often cause swelling and pain in the glands of the jaw, making one or both cheeks look swollen. Some mumps patients do not experience swelling, and may feel like they have a bad cold or influenza instead.

Mumps is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes nearby, or shares food or drinks with another person.

A person with the virus can spread it to others for seven days before symptoms appear, and up to nine days after symptoms start, although it is most common to spread one to two days before and five days after symptoms appear.

Mumps generally goes away on its own, without treatment, but in some cases can cause serious complications that affect the brain, in the case of meningitis, the testicles, the ovaries, or the pancreas, with life-long effects.

Alberta Health Services says anyone with the symptoms of mumps should stay home from school or work for five days from the start of any swelling.

Alberta offers vaccinations against mumps at no charge, recommending that children should receive one dose at 12 months of age, and a second between four and six years of age.

Adults 18 years of age or older, born in 1970 or later should have at least one dose of mumps-containing vaccine.

Anyone born before 1970 is assumed to be immune due to the fact that mumps was extremely common prior to the vaccine being available.

During the current outbreak, Hockey Alberta is recommending that players either keep their gloves on when shaking hands at the end of their games, or to stick with bumping fists instead of shaking hands.

In addition, sharing water bottles and drinks is not recommended.