Mumps Health Advisory
Note: The following is an excerpt from an Indiana University health advisory issued April 21, 2006. It includes IU Health Center recommendations for students, faculty and staff on all IU campuses.
BLOOMINGTON - A student on the Indiana University Bloomington campus has been diagnosed with mumps, according to Hugh Jessop, director of the Indiana University Health Center. Because the recent mumps epidemic in the Midwest has been tied closely to university communities, Jessop said that students, faculty and staff - particularly those individuals who have direct student contact - need to be aware they may be at risk of contracting the disease.
IU Health Center officials are making the following recommendations and observations for students, faculty and staff throughout the IU system, based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College Health Association:
- People born before 1957 are considered immune to mumps because exposure to the disease was common when they were young. Those born during or after 1957 should check to see if they have had two MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) immunizations or have had mumps.
- If you have not been immunized with two doses of MMR and have not had mumps, it is recommended that you contact your health care practitioner for appropriate immunization.
- The vaccine is not 100 percent effective, so some cases might occur in people who have been vaccinated. The effectiveness of the MMR vaccine is 80 percent after one dose and 90 percent after the second dose.
For additional information about mumps and the recent outbreak of mumps in the Midwest consult these web sites:
Mumps is a viral infection that primarily affects the parotid glands (salivary glands) located below and in front of the ears. The infection can cause swelling in one or both glands, pain with chewing and swallowing, fever, weakness and fatigue.
The virus spreads through coughing and sneezing. People with mumps are contagious for about a week before and two weeks after the onset of symptoms, which occurs generally two to three weeks after exposure to the virus. Complications are rare but can include hearing loss, meningitis and swollen testicles.
The mumps vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women, women who plan to get pregnant within the next four weeks, and people who have had a life-threatening allergic reaction to gelatin or the antibiotic neomycin.
|
