Southeast Missouri State University reports 29 confirmed cases of mumps

Southeast Missouri State University has had 29 confirmed cases of mumps, and the number is expected to grow, school officials said Wednesday.

"The university continues to receive reports of students presenting to their health-care provider or the Campus Health Clinic with symptoms of mumps," the school said on its website.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has recommended all Southeast students consider getting a third dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

In response, the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center hosted a vaccination clinic Tuesday for all fraternity and sorority members living on or off campus.

The clinic vaccinated 583 students, said Bruce Skinner, assistant vice president for student success.

The Campus Health Clinic will offer vaccinations from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and Friday. Students should bring their identification cards and a copy of their insurance cards, campus officials said.

Students also may visit the Cape Girardeau Public Health Center, 1121 Linden St., on Monday through Friday, for the vaccine. The public health center will vaccinate those students who are uninsured or underinsured, school officials said.

Mumps cases first were reported to Southeast in February.

Students will be on spring break next week, but Skinner said the break won't eliminate the mumps outbreak.

"We are going to continue to work through the cases of mumps for the whole semester," he said. "We don't expect spring break to fix this."

Skinner said the vaccination will help protect students from the viral infection and reduce the severity of symptoms for those who may have been exposed.

Skinner praised the public-health staff for its efforts to combat mumps.

"I give a lot of credit to public health. They have been great to work with," he said.

Mumps is transmitted from person to person through direct contact with respiratory secretions or saliva or indirectly through affected objects, school officials said.

Symptoms include swelling of the salivary glands under the ears, body aches, loss of appetite, fatigue, headache, low-grade fever, swollen testicles and inflammation of the ovaries.

Students are most at risk in large gatherings of people inside houses or other small areas or through prolonged, close contact with others, officials said.

The outbreak of mumps at Southeast follows one on the campus of the University of Missouri-Columbia, which surfaced last fall. As of Feb. 23, the University of Missouri had reported 350 confirmed and probable cases of mumps, according to Southeast.

Southeast publicly updates the situation online at semo.edu/mumps.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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