Suspected Cases of Mumps Reported at Yale University

NEW HAVEN, CT—There are two suspected cases of mumps at Yale University.

One case is an undergraduate living on campus and the other is a graduate student living off campus, according to an announcement from Yale Health.

"Over 90% of Yale undergraduates have received mumps vaccine, but it is still possible for students or other members of the campus community to contract the disease," said Paul Genecin, director of Yale Health.

There have been reported outbreaks of mumps at other colleges, including Sacred Heart University and Harvard.

"Students who have mumps or mumps-like symptoms will be asked to go home if they live close enough to New Haven or if their parent or guardian is able to pick them up," Genecin said. "Students who are not able to go home will be cared for at Yale Health until they are no longer contagious."

People with mumps can spread the disease up to two days before and five days after showing symptoms. Symptoms generally show up 16 to 18 days after infection, but the period can range from 12 to 25 days.

More from Yale Health:

Mumps is a highly contagious respiratory disease that is spread through indirect or direct contact with an infected person’s nose or throat droplets, such as when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It is best known for the puffy cheeks and swollen jaw that it causes because of inflammation of the salivary glands under the ears on one or both sides. Other common symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue and loss of appetite. Some people who get mumps have very mild or no symptoms, and often they do not know they have the disease.

Most people with mumps recover completely in a few weeks. However, mumps can occasionally cause severe complications, especially in adults. Treatment includes rest, fluids, and over-the-counter medicine to reduce fever and discomfort. Since mumps is caused by a virus, antibiotics are not used as a treatment.