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Second confirmed case of mumps on Marquette campus
Second confirmed case of mumps on Marquette campus
MILWAUKEE -- City of Milwaukee health officials confirmed a second case of mumps on the Marquette University campus on Friday, September 28th. Officials say this case appears to be linked to another case of mumps identified earlier in September.
On September 9th, Marquette University officials said a student living off campus had a confirmed case of mumps.
"We do think this person was linked to the first case. That was linked to a foreign visitor who had the disease and came from a country where perhaps it is more prevalent. This is on our radar. It's a vaccine-preventable disease that we typically don't see on an annual basis anywhere in Milwaukee," Paul Biedrzycki with the City of Milwaukee's Health Department said.
Marquette officials have alerted students via email to the latest confirmed mumps case.
"It's a little concerning. Hopefully everyone will get the vaccinations they need," one Marquette student said.
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. Anyone who is not immune from either previous mumps infection or from vaccination can get mumps.
Mumps can be passed by someone two days before and up to five days after showing symptoms.
Biedrzycki said the Health Department will be monitoring Marquette University both on and off campus for the next several weeks to make sure the mumps is contained.
"We're going to contact individuals to make sure they're vaccinated and make sure they're looking for symptoms. If they're not vaccinated or under vaccinated we'll be providing that as well," Biedrzycki said.
Before the routine vaccination program was introduced in the United States, mumps was a common illness in infants, children and young adults. Because most people have now been vaccinated, mumps has become a rare disease in the United States. Doctors say while the vaccine is very good, it's not perfect. Doctors say even those with a vaccine could be susceptible to mumps should they come into contact with an infected individual.
The Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine includes a series of two shots.
Following the first confirmed case, Marquette officials had asked anyone who was in the Union Sports Annex on September 4th between 3:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. to be extra vigilant.
Currently, there is no specific treatment for mumps. Supportive care should be given as needed. If someone becomes very ill, they should seek medical attention. If someone seeks medical attention, they should call their doctor in advance so that they don't have to sit in the waiting room for a long time and possibly infect other patients.
CLICK HERE for additional information on mumps via the CDC website.