There’s an outbreak of mumps at Fordham’s Bronx campus. Credit: woicik/flickr
Eight students at Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus in the Bronx have contracted mumps, according to an email sent to students on Wednesday.
One student was diagnosed with the illness last month, and seven more were diagnosed this week, the university said.
“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,” the email read.
All students are required to have the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine before attending the school, and all eight students had been vaccinated, the university said.
Vaccinations, however, “do not offer 100 percent protection,” the email said.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, mumps is a contagious disease that is caused by a virus. It typically starts with a few days of fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite, and is followed by swelling of the salivary glands.
Students and faculty are being urged to wash their hands with soap and water, and clean tables, counters and doorknobs to prevent spreading the virus.
