By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

Louisiana State University

Officials with the Louisiana State University (LSU) Student Health Center confirmed five student cases of mumps Tuesday.

Mumps virus/CDC

The first confirmed mumps case at the University was presented at the Student Health Center on Friday, according to Rebecca Fontenot, director of wellness and health promotion at the Student Health Center.

College of Charleston

For the first time in weeks, the College of Charleston has reported a confirmed mumps case on campus, making it the 77th confirmed since the outbreak started in mid-September 2019.

Mumps is an infectious virus passed through saliva and respiratory secretions. While the incubation period is 12 to 25 days, symptoms often appear 16 to 18 days after exposure.

Mumps generally causes mild symptoms in people who are immunized. Symptoms usually go away on their own; however, mumps is easily transmitted, and some people experience complications.

In rare occasions, mumps can cause more severe complications such as deafness, swelling of the brain and/or spinal cord covering, painful swelling of the testicles or ovaries, and death (very rarely).

MMR vaccine prevents most, but not all, cases of mumps and complications caused by the disease. Two doses of the vaccine are 88% effective (range: 66 to 95%) at protecting against mumps. One dose is 78% effective (range: 49% to 92%).