The number of confirmed mumps cases on the Syracuse University campus doubled in the last week, the Office of Health Services announced in a campus-wide email sent Friday afternoon.

Eight students are now confirmed to have contracted the disease, said Karen Nardella, medical director of health services.

The students appear to be in “shared social circles,” she added.

The university announced last week that four students contracted the mumps.

The Onondaga County Health Department last week ordered SU to “exclude” 17 students from campus who have not submitted vaccination records. The exclusion went into effect Monday morning.

“Excluding students from campus is not ideal, and it’s important to us that all our students are positioned for success,” Nardella said in an email last week. “Several campus offices, including Academic Affairs and the Office of Student Assistance, are working to identify academic accommodations that could allow our students to continue their studies.”

Symptoms of mumps can include a fever, headaches, muscle aches, puffy cheeks and a swollen jaw. People diagnosed with mumps recover in a few weeks, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nardella said students can contract the disease even if they have been vaccinated.

The university’s response protocol, which Nardella said was consistent with guidance from the health department, includes isolating infected students, sanitizing all areas the students came in contact with and notifying people who may have interacted with students who contracted the disease.

SU first announced two confirmed mumps cases in an email to the campus community on Sept. 21.

 

Published on October 6, 2017 at 5:01 pm

Contact Jordan: jmulle01@syr.edu | @jordanmuller18