Update on Mumps in Virginia

Health officials say immunization against mumps is effective in 90-95% of cases. In confirmed cases at other colleges and universities, students who had received the vaccination have contracted the virus.

What you need to know:

  • Mumps is spread through saliva contact. Do not share eating utensils, beverage containers (glasses, cans, bottles), cigarettes, toothbrushes, etc.
  • Mumps is spread through airborne respiratory droplets through coughing or sneezing. Always cover your cough/sneeze and wash your hands frequently.
  • Mumps is contagious for three days before the onset of the swelling of the glands close to the jaw. The symptoms usually appear about 18 days after exposure but may appear between 12 and 25 days.
  • Wash your hands for 20 seconds or more with soap and water and avoid public places when you are sick.
  • If you believe you have the symptoms of mumps call the Student Health and Wellness Center and make an appointment or contact your health provider immediately.

    * If you have not submitted your immunization documentation, or have not yet been vaccinated against mumps, contact the Student Health and Wellness Center. The vaccine is available free of charge at the local health department.

For complete information, visit
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/diseases/mumps/default.htm

On campus, call the Student Health and Wellness Center at 395.2102 or stop by the office located in the Graham Building
(8:15 a.m. - 5 p.m.).

October 2006

The following message is being sent on behalf of James Turner, MD (University of Virginia), chair of ACHA's Vaccine Preventable Diseases Committee.

Dear Virginia Colleagues,

I am sending this to you as a fellow ACHA person, and not representing any official Va. Department of Health statement. However, despite having over 97% compliance on MMR shots, we have mumps on our campus. At this moment we have five probable (clinically consistent findings, awaiting lab confirmation) and at least three more suspected, clinically consistent but currently under investigation by the Health Department.

Because all our students interact socially or through sports, I anticipate cases will start to appear on your campuses. I want to suggest a few things you can do to get ready:

1. Look over your immunization database, identify students who have not completed the two shot mumps series, and strongly encourage them to be vaccinated. Finding the susceptible's may be one of the most challenging tasks, particularly this time of the year when you are just entering pre-entrance health form data.

2. Review the clinical criteria for mumps (cdc.gov) and make sure you know what studies to send. Your health department should now be able to process all serology, cultures, and PCR.

Despite obvious clinical syndromes, early labs may be negative, don't be dissuaded by negative labs. You may have to repeat IgM and IgG at 2-3 week intervals before something turns positive. If you are clinically suspicious of a case, isolate them for 9 days from the time they first get sick. Don't let them back in dorms or classes.

3. Remember that vaccine recipients have a 2-5% chance of having disease.

All our cases are among vaccinees. But they may have atypical presentations; nonetheless, vaccine can prevent complications such orchitis and meningitis.

August 2006: As of today, Virginia has had confirmed cases of mumps. Neither has been connected to the on-going outbreak in the Midwest.

The Division of Immunization and the Division of Surveillance and Investigation in conjunction with staff in health districts are investigating a number of suspected cases of mumps disease.

This message is intended to raise our awareness. The key to prevention of mumps is vaccination or prior documented immunity for those born prior to 1957.

Currently the outbreak is centered in the Midwest with the majority of cases in the 18-25 year old age range though the age range has been 2-64 years old. There have been no deaths reported.

It is important to understand that this outbreak is likely aided in its ability to infect people and spread by both those persons who have not received vaccine (or acquired natural immunity) and those at risk who have only had one dose. Even two doses are not 100% effective. Thus, this outbreak is also infecting vaccinated people. Yet, it is likely that infections occur more easily in those who have only received one mumps (called MMR) vaccine dose or clearly none at all.

Because of this, and state law, as you know, it is important to assure our students have had both of their MMR vaccines.

School workers are at higher risk of exposure and if they are also health care workers (e.g. school nurses) they certainly should review their vaccination status.