An outbreak of mumps with more than a dozen suspected cases was reported in two Fordham University campuses. University officials are now investigating the cause of the outbreak and have warned students to stay protected.
Despite precautionary measures practiced by the university, a highly infectious disease has found its way to spread, and as of reporting, 13 suspected mumps cases have already been reported in two of Ford University's campuses -- the Rose Hill campus and the Lincoln Center campus.
Mumps is a contagious disease brought by the mumps virus. In the first few days of the course of the disease, patients will have fever, headache, and muscle aches. They will also feel tired and lose their appetite. After that, their salivary glands will swell.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), anyone who has not been immunized through vaccination or previous acquisition of mumps disease can get infected.
However, in an interview, freshman Johnathan Agostino told New York Post, "The thing is, just to get into Fordham you need to be vaccinated for mumps. So nobody knows if those kids got a bad vaccine or what. I just know I'm going straight to the health center if I see any symptoms."
In a statement given by Fordham officials to NY Post, they stated that, "All the students with suspected mumps infections have either returned home or have been isolated from other residents during the infectious phase of the illness."
"All of the students who were tentatively diagnosed with mumps had been vaccinated." However, it does not give people complete protection against the disease.
Though no laboratory tests have confirmed mumps at the university, officials will still try to find what connection there might be between the infected students while being more thorough in maintaining sanitized communal bathrooms.
The university has informed students about the matter through e-mail messages so they can be cautious in interacting with possible mumps-infected individuals.
