Topeka ? State health officials say vaccinations and common sense are the best ways for Kansans to prevent becoming a statistic in the ongoing outbreak of mumps.

As of Tuesday afternoon, 48 cases had been reported to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, with 37 in Douglas County. Other cases were in Geary, Johnson, Leavenworth, Norton, Saline and Shawnee counties.

Dr. Howard Rodenberg, director of the state Division of Health, said in a normal year Kansas has no more than three mumps cases. Last year, the state reported none.

Health officials are looking for any commonalties among patients to explain the outbreak but so far haven’t found any link, Rodenberg said during a news conference in Topeka.

Officials have ruled out the possibility that the outbreak is a form of mumps for which the immunization given to children doesn’t work.