After the University Student Health Center confirmed several students had been diagnosed with mumps in early March, it released health information to help students to be aware of the dangers of the disease.
Dr. John Perret, medical director of the Student Health Center, said as of March 21 that 17 University students have been confirmed to have mumps, and several more students have shown symptoms.
The recent outbreak on campus is not an isolated incident — it is part of a much bigger trend. A study released at the end of 2016 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed mumps cases were the highest they had been in 10 years and more than twice as large as the year before. The close, heavily-populated living spaces of a college campus make it one of the most prevalent sites for mumps, as explained by Dr. Michael Grosso, medical director and CMO of Huntington Hospital/Northwell Health.
“It spreads through respiratory secretions, coughing, sneezing, close contact and sharing the same cups and utensils,” Grosso said in an interview with CBS News.
By Dec. 31, 5,311 mumps cases had been reported to the CDC. The yearly numbers have been rising since 229 cases were reported in 2012. Around 1,077 cases have already been reported for 2017 as of Feb. 25. Universities that have seen large outbreaks in the past year include Harvard University, University of Missouri Columbia and State University of New York.
A mumps outbreak spread throughout the National Hockey League in late 2014 when 23 players across five different teams were diagnosed with the disease. After an aggressive campaign by the NHL to eliminate the disease through vaccinations, it recently returned when the Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild each reported multiple players had the disease in late February.
The mumps vaccine is called measles-mumps-mubella and is referred to as MMR. Doctors recommend getting two doses of the vaccine, which has been reported as 88 percent effective, where one dose is only 78 percent effective. The CDC does not advocate for a third dose, but is working closely with those affected by outbreaks to create a more potent treatment. The University Student Health Center said it will administer the vaccine to any student who is unsure if he or she has received it.
The most recognizable symptom of mumps is the swelling or tenderness of the salivary glands under the ears or jaw on either side of the face. Once contracted, the disease can take up to 25 days to become effective, with symptoms generally being experienced for seven to 10 days. The patient is most contagious for only one to two days. The disease has become less potent since the vaccination was first introduced in 1967, but neglecting treatment could still lead to a serious infection or inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.
Despite the vaccination not completely guaranteeing immunity from mumps, health professionals such as Grosso cannot stress enough the importance of receiving a vaccination.
“Being immunized late is better than not being immunized ever,” Grosso said. “But being immunized late is not nearly as good as being immunized on time.”