Recent outbreaks of the mumps have found their way to colleges and universities throughout Indiana. The mumps are not as prevalent as they once were due to the development of effective vaccinations, but they have begun resurfacing on college campuses.
“When outbreaks occur around the United States with things like measles, mumps and other illness like those, there is some concern because people are choosing not to be immunized, that there is less of what is called ‘heard immunity.’ Because of that, there is more exposure of people to the virus,” said Dr. David Harsha, a member of the medical staff with DePauw Health. “That being said, there’s been cases, even in college students, who have had two vaccines, like they are supposed to have.”
While no recent cases have been reported at DePauw, The health team has begun to recommend that students take action to help prevent the spread of the illness for themselves and other students.
“The best protection against it is to make sure that you have two shots of Measles Mumps and Rubella vaccine, which is called the MMR, and that’s what we are recommending for everybody," Harsha said.
According to Harsha, if students are up to date on their vaccines, the best thing they can do to further prevent illness is to practice good hygiene. This is done in very practical ways, like washing hands before touching your face or eating--“common sense,” Harsha said.
Some of the symptoms for the mumps are fatigue, headaches, coughing, running nose and swelling at the lower jaw.
“The symptoms are a lot like flu,” Harsha said. “One of the biggest things that is different about mumps is pain below the ears, right on the lower part of the jaw and that is where you get some swelling.”
The mumps are spread by people who have had indirect or direct contact with someone who has the illness. People who are not up to date on their MMR vaccines are the most at risk of contracting the mumps.
“The risk is greatest for international travelers and people who are in contact with international travelers,” Harsha added.
If these symptoms pop up, people should go to the health center to be evaluated by the staff. Because antibiotics are not effective in treating the mumps virus, the only treatment includes rest, pain reliever for aches and a soft diet to reduce the pain from the jaw swelling.
“We usually separate that individual and isolate them for a few days to make sure they don’t contact or infect others,” Harsha said.
Those who are not up to date on their MMR vaccinations may visit the health center or a regular doctor at home for an appointment to discuss the next step.
“Not everything is going to be mumps, but if you get that cheek swelling, that’s the main thing to get seen for,” Harsha said.
To learn more about the mumps, visit: http://www.in.gov/isdh/files/Mumps_FAQ_-_FINAL_2-19-16.pdf