Clemson confirms mumps case on campus, warns students of contagious virus
Clemson University warned students about a confirmed case of mumps on campus, according to the university.
State health officials notified the school about the case of the contagious virus Thursday and the school sent an email to all students, staff and faculty Friday morning, university spokesman Philip Sikes said.
The school is trying to identify anyone who came in contact with the person, Sikes said, and has set up vaccination clinics for people to get booster vaccines.
He said the confirmed mumps case is “believed to be an isolated case,” but the campus is trying to be proactive so more people don’t get sick.
Mumps is a contagious virus spread by sneezing and coughing, according to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Mumps symptoms and treatment
The symptoms of mumps begin two weeks to 18 days after exposure, according to DHEC. “Many people feel tired and achy, have a fever, and swollen salivary glands on the side of the face, usually below and in front of the ear,” DHEC said.
“Others may feel extremely ill and be unable to eat because of jaw pain, and a few will develop serious complications,” according to DHEC.
Public health officials say the best treatment for mumps is drinking lots of fluids “and taking over-the-counter medications to treat the fever and headache.”
Mumps cases in the United States dropped dramatically after the vaccine program started in 1967, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The vaccine is given to children as part of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, called the MMR vaccine.
“Mumps outbreaks can still occur in highly vaccinated U.S. communities, particularly in settings where people have close, prolonged contact, such as universities and close-knit communities,” according to the CDC. “However, high vaccination coverage helps to limit the size, duration, and spread of mumps outbreaks.
