School officials at Indiana University (IU) are investigating two confirmed mumps cases on the Bloomington campus. The cases were identified two weeks apart, and no connection between the two cases has been identified at this time.

Image/CDC
Image/CDC

The university is working with the Monroe County Health Department and the Indiana State Department of Health on identifying and directly notifying anyone who may have been in close contact with the students and implementing measures to help prevent the additional transmission of mumps.

Additionally, IU advises that the campus and surrounding community educate themselves about the symptoms, transmission and prevention of mumps.

IU is taking all precautions to protect its students, faculty and staff. The university encourages university members to check their vaccination records with their primary-care provider.

In a follow-up to a report two weeks ago, a second Kansas State University (KSU) student has been diagnosed with mumps disease. The staff of Lafene Health Center, the Riley County Health Department and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment are working together to provide information to the campus and surrounding community about the symptoms of mumps, how it is transmitted and what students and others can do to prevent the spread of this infection.

Mumps is caused by a virus, so antibiotics are not indicated. Symptoms typically appear 16 to 18 days after infection but can range from 12 to 25 days. Generally, mumps is a mild illness, and some people may not have any symptoms. While complications and more serious issues can result from a mumps infection, they are generally rare, with a 1 percent to 3 percent complication rate.

Currently, the best way to prevent mumps is to be vaccinated with two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, or MMR. Two doses of vaccine are only considered around 80 percent effective at preventing infection, so some people who have been fully vaccinated with two MMRs may still contract mumps.

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