Mumps outbreak: 20 confirmed cases at IU Bloomington

The Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington) Health Center reports three additional mumps cases on campus, bringing the outbreak total to 20.

A mumps outbreak was declared at IU Bloomington on March 12 after a third case of mumps was confirmed.

Mumps is a contagious disease caused by a virus. An outbreak is considered three confirmed cases and can occur at any time of the year, but often occur in the winter and spring.

Symptoms of mumps may include: Swelling and tenderness in front of and below one or both ears and along the jaw, pain along the jaw and in front of and below one or both ears, fever, tiredness, muscle aches and loss of appetite.

Most people recover completely in a few weeks. People who do not have swelling may still spread the virus to others.

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Complications of mumps are rare but may include orchitis (painful swelling of the testicles), meningitis (in 1-10% of cases), encephalitis (swelling of the brain; less than 1% of cases), and/or hearing loss (very rare). There may be an increased risk of miscarriage with mumps in the first trimester of pregnancy.

The MMR vaccine is safe and prevents mumps at the rate of 88% on average after two doses.

From January 1 to March 29, 2019, 34 states and the District of Columbia in the U.S. reported mumps infections in 426 people to CDC.