By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews
In a follow-up on the mumps outbreak at the College of Charleston, school officials report two additional cases yesterday, bringing the outbreak total on campus to five.
Per S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control guidelines, College health officials are in the process of notifying the close contacts of people confirmed to have the virus.
Officials state that if you have had close contact with someone symptomatic with the mumps, monitor yourself for any possible symptoms. If you have never received the MMR vaccine, the recommendation is to receive the full two-dose MMR series.
Mumps is a highly infectious disease passed through saliva and respiratory secretions. While the incubation period ranges from 12 to 25 days, symptoms often appear 16 to 18 days after exposure. People with mumps are considered infectious from two days before swelling begins through five days after the start of swelling.
Symptoms of mumps include influenza-like/cold-like illness, tender swollen glands below the ear and along the jawline on one or both sides of the face and neck, headache, fever, muscle aches, fatigue, loss of appetite, testicular swelling and pelvic pain.
There is no specific treatment for mumps – only relief of symptoms.
The following precautions against mumps are advised:
· Cover your mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing; use your upper sleeve to cover your cough, not your hand.
· Wash hands frequently and efficiently. When unable to wash with soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
· Avoid sharing food and drinks or participating in other activities that may result in saliva exposure.
· Stay home from school or work when you are sick to rest and limit the spread of illness to others. Self-isolation after the onset of symptoms remains one of the most critical steps a symptomatic individual can take toward recovery and limiting the spread of mumps.
