BURLINGTON — The Vermont Department of Health is investigating an outbreak of mumps among students at Saint Michael’s College and the University of Vermont. Mumps is a contagious illness caused by a virus that can be spread through close person-to-person contact, such as coughing, sneezing or sharing drinking glasses. The virus causes fever, swelling of the parotid glands, and can affect other parts of the body.
While the total number of mumps cases remains small, state health officials working with the Saint Michael’s Student Health Office conducted two vaccination clinics last week, administering doses of the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella) to 450 students at the college.
A similar vaccination effort was planned for this week for students who live in three UVM dormitories where mumps cases have been identified. Parents of children who attend a day care center located on the UVM campus are being given letters explaining the outbreak. The day care is housed within a Living and Learning Center building, but it is separated from the student areas and has its own entrance. No cases had been identified at the day care center as of this past Friday. The Health Department said the institutions’ student health staff and leadership have been full partners in the investigation and response.
According to Laura Ann Nicolai, Health Department deputy state epidemiologist, college students are among those adults at higher risk of exposure to the virus.
“Mumps may be spread through close contact, but some people who get it have very mild or no symptoms. Often, they may not know they have the disease,” explained Nicolai. “In a college setting, with shared space of dorms and classrooms, it’s possible to be exposed to the virus through encounters with people who don’t realize they’re infected.”
Thanks to good immunization coverage, mumps is relatively rare in the United States. Two doses of MMR vaccine are recommended for all children prior to school entry. Nicolai said the clinics are to provide a third dose of MMR vaccine, which is recommended for people at increased risk of getting mumps during an outbreak.
Mumps is typically recognized for its facial swelling caused by swollen parotid glands, a condition known as parotitis. The most common symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, loss of appetite, and tenderness under the ears on one or both sides. Symptoms typically appear 16-18 days after infection but can occur from 12 to 25 days after exposure. There is no cure for mumps. Treatment involves bed rest, staying hydrated, and fever reduction. Most people who are ill with the virus recover completely in a few weeks.
For more information about mumps, go to healthvermont.gov/immunizations-infectious-disease/other-reportable-diseases/mumps.