Mumps outbreak at Fordham: Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses affected
The outbreak of the viral infection, mumps, has spread to two Fordham University campuses affecting 13 people this week, according to a PIX 11 report Thursday.
The University is working closely with the New York City Department of Health in the outbreak investigation.
In addition to the newest 13 cases, university officials say that there was also a case reported in January.
The university said in a statement that “all the students with suspected mumps infections have either returned home or have been isolated from other residents during the infectious phase of the illness. Typically, mumps patients are contagious for two days prior to the outbreak of symptoms and five days after.”
Although students must indeed receive the MMR (mumps, measles and rubella) vaccine, it doesn’t always guarantee one won’t become infected.
There’s still a small group of individuals who don’t get any protection to vaccines, and that group represents a population that’s susceptible.
Mumps in college-age men and women usually runs its course without any lasting effects,” the University’s statement continued. “Nonetheless, the University is trying to see what connection there might be among the affected students while stepping up the frequency and intensity of cleanings in communal bathrooms.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mumps is a contagious disease that is caused by the mumps virus. Mumps typically starts with a few days of fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite, and is followed by swelling of salivary glands.
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 soft drink 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 afterinfection.
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.
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) in females who have reached puberty and deafness.
Anyone who is not immune from either previous mumps infection or from vaccination can get mumps.
Mumps in college-age men and women usually runs its course without any lasting effects,” the University’s statement continued. “Nonetheless, the University is trying to see what connection there might be among the affected students while stepping up the frequency and intensity of cleanings in communal bathrooms.”
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[…] Mumps outbreak at Fordham: Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses affected […]
Hope these students recover quickly without residual issues. If one suspects they may not have been vaccinated they should contact their healthcare-provider to find out the best way to protect themselves. Parents of children in the area should contact their pediatrician if their children start displaying signs or symptoms of the illness.