Rumors of a case of the mumps have been circulating on campus. Those rumors are false.

“There have been no probable or confirmed cases of mumps in Coles County,” said Michelle Mathews, communicable diseases coordinator at the Coles County Health Department.

“That doesn’t mean students haven’t come in with concerns or questions about (mumps),” said Dr. Sheila Baker, medical director at Eastern’s Health Service.

Illinois has 110 reported cases of the mumps, said Melanie Arnold, spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Public Health. Of those cases, 55 have been confirmed, and 55 are probable.

Champaign and De Witt counties each have one case of the mumps. Macon and Vermilion counties have two cases each. Counties in northern and southern Illinois have multiple counties with cases; Jo Daviess County has the most with 20 cases.

“I’m sure the two ends will meet,” Baker said.

Eastern takes action

Employees at Health Service are prepared for the outbreak, Baker said. Their Web site has recently been updated with information about the mumps, in an attempt to inform students about the virus.

If people have concerns about the mumps, they should call Health Service and make an appointment to come in, Baker said.

It is important for people to call first, so they can be brought into a private area, to avoid possibly infecting the rest of the waiting area.

Health Service has protein culture kits and tests to determine whether or not a person has the mumps.

“It is possible that we will have a case, or cases, of mumps on this campus,” Baker said.

Mumps defined

The mumps is a virus that affects salivary glands. It is called mumps because those glands typically swell, usually just on one side, but it can happen on both, said Ramona Tomshack, an infection control practitioner at Sara Bush Lincoln Health Center.

She compared mumps to a bad version of the common cold, and usually, the mumps last approximately a week.

“It’s not something you really get rid of,” Tomshack said. “You just sort of tough it out.”

Mumps causes

Mumps can be prevented with a measles, mumps and rubella vaccination. Usually, the MMR vaccination is administered as a child or toddler. Sometimes a shot does not titer, meaning the body does not respond to the shot, Tomshack said.

One month after the shot is administered, a blood test is done to make sure the shot did titer.

“If you don’t titer and we don’t test you, that’s when we come into situations like this,” Tomshack said.

Any student at Eastern taking six or more credit hours had to have proof of immunization, including two MMR vaccinations.

If a person did not have the shot, an MMR vaccination should be fine, she said. Any vaccination facility should be able to provide an MMR.

Mumps spread

The mumps virus is in saliva and respiratory secretions. It is transferred through saliva, Tomshack said.

“Don’t be sharing spit – however you choose to do that,” she aid.

That includes spreading germs from coughing or sneezing without washing one’s hands, sharing drinks or sharing eating utensils.

The mumps have an incubation period, Tomshack said.

A person who has the mumps is contagious for three-to-five days before they even have symptoms, she said. That person is still contagious nine-to-12 days after they’re rid of symptoms, she said.

Usually when a student comes in to Health Service with a sore throat, it is easy to determine whether they have strep throat, the usual case, Baker said.

The mumps is different.

“We just don’t see it often enough to recognize what it is right away,” she said.

Some cases can be fairly mild without extremely swollen glands or harsh symptoms, while others can be the complete opposite, she said.

Mumps effects

As a child, mumps is not a big threat, Tomshack said. But if a college-age student becomes infected, it could become complicated.

The mumps can develop into meningitis, characterized by inflammation of the tissue that surrounds the brain or spinal cord, or encephalitis, inflammation of the brain. Both of these diseases’ symptoms include headache, neck pain, nausea and fever.

The virus can also cause infertility in men, miscarriages, deafness, and infect women’s ovaries and breasts, Tomshack said.

“If you’re getting sicker, and not getting better, you need to see your doctor,” she said.

“Don’t just take it lightly.”

Take the next step

If an Eastern student does contract the mumps, Health Service and housing facilities have worked out a plan.

In the event of an outbreak, Students would be notified and warned to watch for symptoms.

The ideal situation would be that the infected student would go home, since it is near the end of the semester, Baker said.

If that student’s return home would put another person in danger, like a pregnant woman, grandparent, or person with cancer, for example, Eastern is prepared to facilitate a person here, Baker said.

She hopes the entire campus would not be affected, but thinks if there is only a small student population, an apartment situation would be put into service.

Getting a student out of the residence halls would be important, she said.

“We don’t want you worried, or have other people worry,” Baker said. “We want to check people out.”

Questions and concerns should be directed to Health Service Tel-a-Nurse at 581-2727