The contagious viral disease, mumps, has been seen in high levels, particularly on the campuses of several Midwestern universities this year to include the University of Iowa and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign among a number of other schools and community colleges.
Here is what is happening at three other schools currently:
Penn State
The university, in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH), is reporting three possible cases of the mumps on the University Park campus. The three potential cases identified are in individuals who do not reside in the residence halls.
UW-Whitewater
In late October, six additional cases of mumps were confirmed at UW-Whitewater. School officials say all six of those cases are students who live off campus. There have been 12 student cases of mumps at UW-Whitewater since late September.
UW-Platteville
The university has confirmed five cases of mumps at the UW-Platteville campus.
Mumps is a highly infectious disease passed through saliva and respiratory secretions. Sharing food or drink, or touching a surface contaminated with the virus then touching your eyes, nose or mouth, or having other direct contact with respiratory secretions, are ways that mumps may be transmitted.
All the schools recommend students, faculty and staff to check with their healthcare providers to confirm receipt of two doses of MMR (mumps, measles, rubella) vaccine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) puts the total mumps cases nationally at 422; however, this number hasn’t been updated in six weeks so it is clearly higher now.
Robert Herriman is a microbiologist and the Editor-in-Chief of Outbreak News Today and the Executive Editor of The Global Dispatch
Follow @bactiman63
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