C-U Public Health: Mumps On The Decline

An outbreak of mumps surpassed 100 cases at the University of Illinois in late August, but Champaign-Urbana’s Public Health District says there’s been a steady decline since.  Public Health's Director of Planning and Research Awais Vaid says as of Friday, his staff was dealing with eight cases at the U of I.

The Public Health District and U of I’s McKinley Health Center have reported a combined total of 175 mumps cases in the Champaign-Urbana area this year.  Vaid says that includes 20 in October, and 31 in September. 

He says the outbreak in Champaign-Urbana could be over by the time students return from winter break in January.

“We’re expecting that in the next few weeks, when campus is completely shut down, and you know, pretty much everybody goes back home, this would be a time, and we are keeping our fingers crossed, that by the time people come back for the spring semester, the outbreak would be completely over.”

McKinley Health Center still offers a free vaccine to U of I students, while faculty and staff can get them at Champaign-Urbana Public Health.

Illinois’ mumps outbreak has also hit McLean, Coles, and DeKalb Counties, most of them on university campuses.  An outbreak at the University of Iowa recently grew to more than 100 cases.

Symptoms of mumps include a swelling of the jaw, and flulike symptoms.  There’s no specific treatment, except immediately seeing a doctor for a diagnosis, and resting for four to five days.