Mumps Cases Reported In Chicago-Area Universities
CHICAGO — Several confirmed cases of mumps and more than a dozen probable cases have been reported at Chicago-area colleges. One case has been confirmed at Columbia College, and a probable case was reported last week at Loyola University.
There have now been two confirmed cases of mumps at Lewis University, in addition to 13 probable cases at the college's Romeoville campus.
As a result of the outbreak, all students, faculty and staff who cannot provide evidence of immunity are barred from the Romeoville campus by an Illinois Health Department mandate. Lewis University also hosted a two-day pop-up immunization clinic last week for those who wanted to get an MMR vaccination booster.
A possible case of the mumps has also been reported at a high school in Lockport.
News of Lewis' mumps outbreak comes as health officials nationwide are confirming the resurgence of measles in 27 states, including Illinois.
In November, several mumps cases were also confirmed at a high school in McHenry County. Several cases were also confirmed at Western Illinois University in May.
Staff, faculty and students should notify their healthcare providers if they experience any mumps symptoms:
Swollen or painful salivary glands under the ears or jaw, or on the cheeks
Fever
Headache
Muscle aches
Tiredness
Loss of appetite
Swollen and tender salivary glands under the ears on one or both sides.
Mumps symptoms typically appear 16 to 18 days after infection, and while some people who get it have very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, in others it can cause potentially serious complications, according to the CDC.
Complications are more likely to arise in adults, including inflammation in the testicles that can lead to infertility, inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), meningitis, inflammation of the ovaries or breast tissue, and even deafness.
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