Mumps cases rise to 17 at UD

No special precautions in place for weekend graduation events.

Seventeen at the University of Dayton have contracted the mumps, campus officials said Thursday, the high point so far in a string of cases that began in April.

With graduation this weekend and some finals today, the campus has already begun to clear out as the university continued to work with public health officials, inform students and get a handle on the outbreak.

UD, with 8,000 undergraduates, said neither campus officials nor public health officials “have been able to determine the origin of these cases. It doesn’t appear the confirmed cases were in contact with each other.”

The first notice from UD went out April 18.

Dan Suffoletto, spokesman for Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County, said there are no precautions or advisories issued for people in advance of University of Dayton’s commencement on Sunday.

The University of Dayton declined any comments Thursday, beyond a website update.

“The people who have been contaminated are isolated and will not be at the graduation,” Suffoletto said.

Campus officials set aside houses in the student residential area so those with mumps could stay with isolation. UD said it would make arrangements to help house in isolation other students with mumps past Friday, if needed.

UD is encouraging anyone who has not been vaccinated to get two doses of the mumps vaccine. The University Student Health Center is providing free vaccines for students 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weekdays by appointment only until today.

Symptoms — including swelling of the salivary glands, or lymph nodes in the neck, or fever, headaches, muscle aches — should prompt medical consultation, UD said. The university is not prohibiting those with symptoms from going to class, taking exams or attending graduation.

“But we strongly recommend you check with your physician about specific precautions and limit your exposure to people. If you choose to leave campus because of a doctor recommendation, contact your respective faculty member to make up class work or exams,” the university said.

Mumps, an airborne virus, is contagious. Symptoms usually disappear in a week, but the incubation period for mumps is 12-25 days and those with mumps can be contagious a few days before seeing symptoms, UD said.

In 2014, an outbreak of mumps was reported at and around Ohio State University.

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