Mumps Outbreak Spreads at Illinois College

[Snowy Owl]

Mumps Outbreak Spreads at Illinois College
At Least 19 Striken at Wheaton College, Cause Unknown
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2469378&page=1
By SIRI NILSSON, ABC News Medical Unit

Sept. 20, 2006 ? An outbreak of mumps at Wheaton College, outside Chicago, has spread. As of Tuesday, college officials and the DuPage County Health Department confirmed 19 cases, with another four under investigation.

Of those 19 stricken students, 10 have recovered and returned to class after a nine-day quarantine period, which the county health department requires.

This mumps outbreak is the worst to hit Illinois in 20 years, officials said.

Mumps is not always serious, but it can lead to deafness or meningitis.

Common symptoms are fever, headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, loss of appetite and swollen salivary glands.

If a person is vaccinated against mumps, the risk of getting the disease is usually very low. The Wheaton College Student Health Center is offering a measles, mumps, rubella vaccine (known as the MMR), or a booster vaccine to students.

Wheaton, a Christian liberal arts college, requires that all incoming students be vaccinated against the mumps, unless they have a religious objection.
The college policies are consistent with Illinois state vaccination policies.

Since most of the students were vaccinated against the mumps, the outbreak has baffled health officials, said college spokeswoman Tiffany Self.

"We don't know how the outbreak started, and health officials don't know," said Self. "The health department is investigating, but they don't think they'll have any answers for days or weeks."

In the meantime, the school is reminding its on-campus students to stay clean and be careful. School officials have sent campus updates to students, faculty and staff, and have encouraged anyone who has not been immunized against mumps to get vaccinated.

Signs have been posted in bathrooms to remind students to wash their hands carefully.

Hand sanitizers have been installed around campus and outside the cafeteria. "We're supposed to wash our hands for the sake of students and staff," said Rachel Rienstra, a Wheaton College senior from Philadelphia.

Mumps can hit college staff and professors just as hard as it hits students.

"Professors with families are very concerned," Rienstra said. "I have a pregnant professor who warned us to tell her if we had been near anyone with mumps or had any symptoms because she doesn't want to infect her unborn baby."

The infection spreads through very close contact, so students in dormitories might be more likely to contract the mumps.

The Wheaton outbreak "is mostly in the freshman dorms, since they're all so close together," said Rienstra.

Every Wheaton student who has or might have the mumps is going into a nine-day quarantine apartment "unless the students are local," said Self.

"Then we send them home. Mom and Dad might be more comforting than a solitary apartment," she said.

[Marcie]

Re: Mumps Outbreak Spreads at Illinois College

Mumps?!?

Mumps Outbreak Spreads at Illinois College
At Least 19 Striken at Wheaton College, Cause Unknown

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2469378&page=1

By SIRI NILSSON, ABC News Medical Unit

Sept. 20, 2006 ? An outbreak of mumps at Wheaton College, outside Chicago, has spread. As of Tuesday, college officials and the DuPage County Health Department confirmed 19 cases, with another four under investigation.


Of those 19 stricken students, 10 have recovered and returned to class after a nine-day quarantine period, which the county health department requires.



This mumps outbreak is the worst to hit Illinois in 20 years, officials said.



Mumps is not always serious, but it can lead to deafness or meningitis.
Common symptoms are fever, headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, loss of appetite and swollen salivary glands.



If a person is vaccinated against mumps, the risk of getting the disease is usually very low. The Wheaton College Student Health Center is offering a measles, mumps, rubella vaccine (known as the MMR), or a booster vaccine to students.


Wheaton, a Christian liberal arts college, requires that all incoming students be vaccinated against the mumps, unless they have a religious objection.
The college policies are consistent with Illinois state vaccination policies.



Since most of the students were vaccinated against the mumps, the outbreak has baffled health officials, said college spokeswoman Tiffany Self.


"We don't know how the outbreak started, and health officials don't know," said Self. "The health department is investigating, but they don't think they'll have any answers for days or weeks."


In the meantime, the school is reminding its on-campus students to stay clean and be careful. School officials have sent campus updates to students, faculty and staff, and have encouraged anyone who has not been immunized against mumps to get vaccinated.



Signs have been posted in bathrooms to remind students to wash their hands carefully.



Hand sanitizers have been installed around campus and outside the cafeteria. "We're supposed to wash our hands for the sake of students and staff," said Rachel Rienstra, a Wheaton College senior from Philadelphia.



Mumps can hit college staff and professors just as hard as it hits students.


"Professors with families are very concerned," Rienstra said. "I have a pregnant professor who warned us to tell her if we had been near anyone with mumps or had any symptoms because she doesn't want to infect her unborn baby."



The infection spreads through very close contact, so students in dormitories might be more likely to contract the mumps.



The Wheaton outbreak "is mostly in the freshman dorms, since they're all so close together," said Rienstra.



Every Wheaton student who has or might have the mumps is going into a nine-day quarantine apartment "unless the students are local," said Self.



"Then we send them home. Mom and Dad might be more comforting than a solitary apartment," she said.

[rutsuyasun]

Re: Mumps Outbreak Spreads at Illinois College

You may recall there was a large epidemic of mumps in April and May of this year. Following are a few quotes from posts about the spread of the mumps virus. (Article sources are no longer available at links due to time period involved.)

Increase in mumps from 2 cases on March 29, 2006 (the first infected airline flight which had 2 individuals carrying mumps) to 1,000 in this story today (April 19th) This is a 21 day spread with 1000 cases spreading in that time frame.


CDC report on mumps epidemic

Posted: 05/19/2006 04:43 pm
Last Updated: 05/19/2006 04:54 pm

The Center for Disease Control says mumps will likely continue to spread across the nation. <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O:P></O:P>
So far this year, nearly 2,600 people have been diagnosed with the illness.<O:P></O:P>
<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 /><ST1:STATE w:st="on"><ST1:PLACE w:st="on">Iowa</ST1:PLACE></ST1:STATE> remains the state with the highest amount of people with mumps, accounting for 57% of cases. <O:P></O:P>
However, ten other states have reported mumps outbreaks. <O:P></O:P>
College age students are most likely to be diagnosed, but cases have been reported in all age groups.<O:P></O:P>
How many doses of mumps vaccine a person has had may influence their risk for coming down with the illness.<O:P></O:P>
Two doses is the most effective, however many people college age and older have only had one dose.<O:P></O:P>
You should contact your doctor for more information.<O:P></O:P>
http://www.wndu.com/news/mommo/052006/mommo_50024.php<O:P></O:P>

[Sally Furniss]

Re: Mumps Outbreak Spreads at Illinois College

More on mumps here.

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4250

Air Travel and spread of disease discussion here.

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10278

[Marcie]

Re: Mumps Outbreak Spreads at Illinois College

I have never in my life known anyone or heard of anyone having the mumps. We were/are vaccinated for Measles, Mumps and Rubella, so I didn't think people got the mumps anymore. Is this a normal thing, lots of people getting the mumps? I really can't tell from these posts. Are you guys saying maybe it's not really the mumps , or what?

[Sally Furniss]

Re: Mumps Outbreak Spreads at Illinois College

Are you guys saying maybe it's not really the mumps , or what?

Marcie, it is the mumps.


Here is more information on mumps.

http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/mumps.html

Mumps is a disease caused by a virus that usually spreads through saliva and can infect many parts of the body, especially the parotid salivary glands. These glands, which produce saliva for the mouth, are found toward the back of each cheek, in the area between the ear and jaw. In cases of mumps, these glands typically swell and become painful.

The disease has been recognized for several centuries, and medical historians argue over whether the name "mumps" comes from an old word for "lump" or an old word for "mumble."

Mumps was common until the mumps vaccine was licensed in 1967. Before the vaccine, more than 200,000 cases occurred each year in the United States. Since then the number of cases has dropped to fewer than 1,000 a year, and epidemics have become fairly rare. As in the prevaccine era, most cases of mumps are still in children ages 5 to 14, but the proportion of young adults who become infected has been rising slowly over the last two decades. Mumps infections are uncommon in children younger than 1 year old.

After a case of mumps it is very unusual to have a second bout because one attack of mumps almost always gives lifelong protection against another. However, other infections can also cause swelling in the salivary glands, which might lead a parent to mistakenly think a child has had mumps more than once.
Signs and Symptoms

Cases of mumps may start with a fever of up to 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4 degrees Celsius), as well as a headache and loss of appetite. The well-known hallmark of mumps is swelling and pain in the parotid glands, making the child look like a hamster with food in its cheeks. The glands usually become increasingly swollen and painful over a period of 1 to 3 days. The pain gets worse when the child swallows, talks, chews, or drinks acidic juices (like orange juice).

Both the left and right parotid glands may be affected, with one side swelling a few days before the other, or only one side may swell. In rare cases, mumps will attack other groups of salivary glands instead of the parotids. If this happens, swelling may be noticed under the tongue, under the jaw, or all the way down to the front of the chest.

Mumps can lead to inflammation and swelling of the brain and other organs, although this is not common. Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord) are both rare complications of mumps. Symptoms appear in the first week after the parotid glands begin to swell and may include: high fever, stiff neck, headache, nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, convulsions, and other signs of brain involvement.

Mumps in adolescent and adult males may also result in the development of orchitis, an inflammation of the testicles. Usually one testicle becomes swollen and painful about 7 to 10 days after the parotids swell. This is accompanied by a high fever, shaking chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain that can sometimes be mistaken for appendicitis if the right testicle is affected. After 3 to 7 days, testicular pain and swelling subside, usually at about the same time that the fever passes. In some cases, both testicles are involved. Even with involvement of both testicles, sterility is only a rare complication of orchitis.

Additionally, mumps may affect the pancreas or, in females, the ovaries, causing pain and tenderness in parts of the abdomen.

In some cases, signs and symptoms of mumps are so mild that no one suspects a mumps infection. Doctors believe that about one in three people may have a mumps infection without symptoms.
Contagiousness

The mumps virus is contagious and spreads in tiny drops of fluid from the mouth and nose of someone who is infected. It can be passed to others through sneezing, coughing, or even laughing. The virus can also spread to other people through direct contact, such as picking up tissues or using drinking glasses that have been used by the infected person.

People who have mumps are most contagious from 2 days before symptoms begin to 6 days after they end. The virus can also spread from people who are infected but have no symptoms.
Prevention

Mumps can be prevented by vaccination. The vaccine can be given alone or as part of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) immunization, which is usually given to children at 12 to 15 months of age. A second dose of MMR is generally given at 4 to 6 years of age. As is the case with all immunization schedules, there are important exceptions and special circumstances.
If they haven't already received them, students who are attending colleges and other post-high school institutions should be sure they have had two doses of the MMR vaccine. During a measles outbreak, your doctor may recommend additional shots of the vaccine, if your child is 1 to 4 years old. Your child's doctor will have the most current information.
Incubation

The incubation period for mumps can be 12 to 25 days, but the average is 16 to 18 days.
Duration

Children usually recover from mumps in about 10 to 12 days. It takes about 1 week for the swelling to disappear in each parotid gland, but both glands don't usually swell at the same time.
Professional Treatment

If you think that your child has mumps, call your child's doctor, who can confirm the diagnosis and work with you to monitor your child's progress and watch for any complications. The doctor can also notify the health authorities who keep track of childhood immunization programs and mumps outbreaks.

Because mumps is caused by a virus, it cannot be treated with antibiotics.

At home, monitor and keep track of your child's temperature. You can use nonaspirin fever medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to bring down a fever. These medicines will also help relieve pain in the swollen parotid glands. Unless instructed by your child's doctor, aspirin should not be used in children with viral illnesses because the use of aspirin in such cases has been associated with the development of Reye syndrome, which can lead to liver failure and death.

You can also soothe your child's swollen parotid glands with either warm or cold packs. Serve a soft, bland diet that does not require a lot of chewing and encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids. Avoid serving tart or acidic fruit juices (like orange juice, grapefruit juice, or lemonade) that make parotid pain worse. Water, decaffeinated soft drinks, and tea are better tolerated.

When mumps involves the testicles, the doctor may prescribe stronger medications for pain and swelling and provide instructions on how to apply warm or cool packs to soothe the area and how to provide extra support for the testicles.

A child with mumps doesn't need to stay in bed, but may play quietly. Ask your doctor about the best time for your child to return to school.
When to Call Your Child's Doctor

Call your child's doctor if you suspect that your child has mumps. If your child has been diagnosed with mumps, keep track of your child's temperature and call the doctor if it climbs above 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 degrees Celsius).

Because mumps can also involve the brain and its membranes, call the doctor immediately if your child has any of the following: stiff neck, convulsions (seizures), extreme drowsiness, severe headache, or changes of consciousness. Watch for abdominal pain that can mean involvement of the pancreas in either sex or involvement of the ovaries in girls. In boys, watch for high fever with pain and swelling of the testicles.

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: April 2006
Originally reviewed by: Neil Izenberg, MD

[Marcie]

Re: Mumps Outbreak Spreads at Illinois College

I see; thanks Anne!

Marcie

[Christian Rivers]

Re: Mumps Outbreak Spreads at Illinois College

See http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5513a3.htm as a beginning reference.
An outbreak of mumps was noted in the UK the past 4 to 5 years. It was an issue for the World Cup last summer as cases had increased in Germany.
The US outbreak began last February in a college in Iowa. The outbreaks seem to preferentially attack college dormitories. The theory is that the immunizations received by that age cohort were less effective than expected. Also college kids in dorms seem to have close contact. The CDC issued an air travel alert last March to trace one specific outbreak. Those of us who had mumps as kids appear to be protected.
C R

[rutsuyasun]

Re: Mumps Outbreak Spreads at Illinois College

I recall reading speculation during the last mumps outbreak that perhaps the mumps virus had mutated and become more contagious. In addition a mutated strain might not be affected by vaccine made from the prior virus, before it mutated.

[Snowy Owl]

Re: Mumps Outbreak Spreads at Illinois College

Mumps are again a concern at several colleges in the Chicago-area.

At least 19 students at Wheaton College have been afflicted this month. Since an outbreak in Iowa beginning late last year, Illinois has seen about 50 times the few mumps cases that are seen in a typical year. However, the outbreak did not reach further south.

Marion County Health Department Director of Nursing Shelly Yoder says it hasn't been too much of a concern locally. She says that there were only 2 probably cases of mumps in Marion County.

Illinois has averaged 13 mumps cases annually during the past five years. This year's number had surpassed 600 by the middle of last week.


http://wjbdradio.com/news_view.asp?WEBID=6864

[Snowy Owl]

Re: Mumps Outbreak Spreads at Illinois College

Mumps Spreads To Benedictine University

52 Mumps Cases Confirmed In DuPage County

http://www.nbc5.com/health/9946518/detail.html

UPDATED: 5:06 pm CDT September 27, 2006
<!--startindex-->
CHICAGO -- There are fears a mumps outbreak is spreading in the western suburbs.

A mumps outbreak first occurred in the Chicago area at Wheaton College. On Tuesday, officials at Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill., confirmed that a student there has the mumps, and they are investigating three more.The female student was recuperating well at her Chicago home, according to a university spokesperson. Earlier reports that she was quarantined in her dorm, were incorrect.

University officials have been busy distributing fliers and sending e-mails warning students about the illness.

"We actually started planning last week for what would happen if this did happen on our campus," a Benedictine University official said, adding that officials quickly set up an isolation area to help prevent the spread of the mumps.

Fifty-two cases of mumps have been reported in DuPage County, 30 cases are students at Wheaton College and were reported since Sept. 7. Mumps has been on the decline since a vaccine was developed in the late 1960s.

Federal health experts said the mumps outbreak that began in Iowa last December and spread to other Midwest states is considered to be the largest in nearly 20 years.

More than 600 cases have been reported in Illinois this year.

Symptoms of the mumps include swollen glands near the jaw, fever, headache or muscle aches