A University student was recently diagnosed at Student Health with a suspected case of the mumps, a contagious viral disease, Director of Student Health Dr. Chris Holstege announced in an email to the University community Thursday.
University spokesperson McGregor McCance said the suspected case is alarming, as mumps is a serious illness that can spread quickly.
“The proper procedure is to try to quarantine people for five days until they are no longer contagious,” McCance said. “We are working closely with the CDC to determine how to proceed.”
It is difficult to tell the difference between mumps and a common cold, Holstege said.
“The only difference between the two is that mumps often make the salivary glands swell, but not always,” Holstege said. “Often the symptoms, headaches and fever, are the exact same.”
Mumps are especially dangerous because they are an extremely contagious disease.
“The incubation period for the disease is quite long and symptoms may not manifest for several weeks after exposure,” Holstege said.
McCance said no one is completely safe from contracting mumps, as even vaccinated people can contract the disease, though these cases are rare.
“We are now in surveillance, closely watching the people coming through Student Health,” McCance said. “We have also been in contact with the Virginia Department of Health, which is running further tests.”
Holstege said outbreaks occur when populations are very close, such as a university or college population.
“Mumps is spread [through] contact with an infected person’s saliva or mucus, so students should not share water bottles, should be careful when sneezing and coughing, and make sure to wash their hands frequently,” Holstege said.
Students are urged to visit Student Health if they experience any symptoms.
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