Fatigue, fever and headaches are just some of its symptoms.
“A few days after that is when one would see the swelling of the cheeks, and the jaw area,” explained Dr. Adaora Uzodi, an infectious disease specialist at Our Lady of the Lake.
Dr. Uzodi is talking about mumps, a highly contagious disease spread through saliva or mucus. The U.S. is seeing one of its largest outbreaks in the last decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
No cases have been found here in Louisiana as of yet, but that doesn’t mean the Pelican State is in the clear. One group of people most likely to get mumps is young people particularly college students.
“College kids live in dormitories. They participate in sports and other activities that bring them in close proximity with other students, and that’s why most outbreaks have been in congregate settings, where there is a lot of close contact,” explained Dr. Uzodi.
So, what do you do to prevent it?
“We recommend all children and adults who need the vaccine to get updated. At this time that is really all that a parent can do is to make sure their child is up-to-date on their vaccination. The CDC and health officials are working hard to identify why this is going on. Perhaps there might be new recommendations in the future to give a third dose of the vaccine to enhance the immunity.”
So far, the Centers for Disease Control is reporting about 5,000 around the nation, and nearly half of those are in Arkansas, but the good news, the spread is slowing down.
If you want to learn more about mumps, just head to the links below:
Dr. Uzodi’s Blog: http://blog.ololrmc.com/mumps-outbreak-what-you-need-to-know-2/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/mumps/