Sussex is in the grip of a mumps outbreak after a sharp rise number of reported cases

Health experts are warning the problem could reach epidemic proportions unless more people get themselves vaccinated.

There have been 35 suspected cases of mumps in Brighton and Hove and the rest of East Sussex so far this year and 13 have been confirmed.

This is already higher than the 12 confirmed cases for the whole of 2004 when 52 suspected cases were reported.

A GP has to notify the primary care trust when he or she has a suspected case of mumps and they are sent a saliva kit to carry out tests. Eighteen have been sent out in East Sussex this month alone. The outbreak is mainly affecting children, teenagers and young adults who have not had the triple measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination.

Older teenagers and young adults are at risk because the vaccine was not available before 1988.

The MMR take-up rate for younger children in Brighton and Hove is just less than 70 per cent, well below the World Health Organisation's recommendation that more than 90 per cent of a community needs to be vaccinated to prevent an outbreak.

Research published in 1998 caused widespread panic among parents when it suggested a link between MMR and autism - a claim rejected by the majority of experts who insist the vaccine is safe. But there are still many parents in the county unwilling to let their child have the vaccination because of the perceived link. Some have paid to have their child innoculated with single vaccinations instead but not everybody can afford the cost so the number of children walking around unvaccinated is still higher than experts like.

Angela Iversen, from the Health Protection Agency in Brighton and Hove, said: "We are seeing the mumps outbreak here among older teenager and young adults.

"We want to make sure everybody in that age group has at least one MMR and preferably two MMR jabs.

"They should make an appointment with their GP or contact NHS Direct for further advice and information."

Research published today in the British Medical Journal warns no opportunity should be missed to offer the vaccine to those at the highest risk of mumps and claims the UK is in the grip of an epidemic.

There have been six positive cases in Worthing so far this year and one in Arun. This is higher than the five recorded cases in both areas between July and December last year.

A spokeswoman for Adur, Arun and Worthing Primary care Trust said: "The figures are not thought to be reflective of the true picture as many GPs are not notifying the health protection teams of all cases.

"The true numbers of those getting mumps is thought to be significantly higher than these."