Three students have been diagnosed with mumps at the University of Connecticut during the fall 2019 semester, and three employees at the Hospital of Central Connecticut were also exposed, though officials said the cases are not related.
Authorities said the UConn cases were reported at the Storrs campus and there is no increased risk for students at any of the other UConn campuses.
At the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britian, officials said three employees in their emergency department became exposed to mumps about a month ago, though the source is unknown.
" We require mandatory vaccinations or proof of immunity or doses of vaccine for employment here," explained Dr. Jack Ross, the chief of infectious diseases at the hospital.
Mumps are a viral infection that can be spread through things like sneezing or coughing, school officials said. While the infection is not usually dangerous, it can be painful, they added.
Typical symptoms include face, cheek and jaw swelling, jaw pain, headache and or a low grade fever, experts said.
Symptoms typically appear 16-18 days after infection, but this period can range from 12–25 days after infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You can get more information about the mumps here.
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UConn officials said all students are required to have two doses of the MMR vaccine, which protects against the mumps virus. According to school records, 98 percent of undergraduate students are fully vaccinated.
Even students who received two doses of the vaccine can become infected, experts added.
UConn Student Health and Wellness said they will be reaching out to students who may be high risk based on their potential contact with other infected students for a third dose of the MMR vaccine.
