After receiving reports of a new case of mumps on Monday, the Milwaukee Department of Health says the total number of cases in the city is now up to eight. The Health Department says half of the cases are known to involve students in university settings, according to a FOX 6 report.
Meanwhile, in Central Ohio, Columbus Public Health reported yesterday that the number of mumps cases linked to the Ohio State University is now up to 201. In total, 342 mumps cases have been linked to the Franklin, Delaware and Madison counties’ community outbreak.
The central Ohio mumps outbreak now has more than half as many mumps cases as there were nationwide last year.
Mumps is spread by droplets of saliva or mucus from the mouth, nose, or throat of an infected person, usually when the person coughs, sneezes or talks. Items used by an infected person, such as cups or softdrink cans, can also be contaminated with the virus, which may spread to others if those items are shared.
Symptoms typically appear 16-18 days after infection, but this period can range from 12-25 days after infection. It is usually a mild disease, but can occasionally cause serious complications.
The most common complication is inflammation of the testicles (orchitis) in males who have reached puberty; rarely does this lead to fertility problems. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page.
Other rare complications include inflammation of the brain and/or tissue covering the brain and spinal cord(encephalitis/meningitis), inflammation of the ovaries (oophoritis) and/or breasts (mastitis) infemales who have reached puberty and deafness. Anyone who is not immune from either previous mumps infection or from vaccination can get mumps.
