Mumps outbreak at California college linked to student athletes

An outbreak of jaw-swelling mumps at Southern California’s San Diego State University has been linked to several students athletes -- but it seems to be contained for now.

Three cases of the contagious disease were confirmed and two other probable cases were reported, though the university did not identify the patients or the sport that had been affected.

“Importantly, the students are no longer considered contagious,” Dr. Tanushree Ghosh, the medical director for the school’s student health services, wrote in a letter published online Friday. She said the school was working with the county to respond to the outbreak.

Mumps is caused by a virus that affects the salivary glands and is often characterized by puffy cheeks and a swollen jaw — but severe cases can lead to brain, testicle and ovary inflammation that causes sterility.

The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine protects against harsh disease, but people who have been vaccinated may still be infected.

The school said it was hosting a clinic to screen for mumps and provide booster shots to people who may have been in close contact with infected athletes.

Protection from vaccination can lessen over time, especially for people with compromised immune systems, Ghosh noted.

Mumps can spread easily through the air after a person coughs, sneezes or talks. It can also be passed when people share items that may have saliva on them or participate in close-contact activities, such as playing sports, dancing or kissing.

It may take just five minutes to become infected — but people who catch the virus don’t get sick right away.

Between two weeks and up to a month may pass before people begin to show signs of infection, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other tell-tale symptoms may include a fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue and loss of appetite.

A person who is infected can spread mumps a few days before their salivary glands begin to swell and up to five days after that swelling begins.

People who are infected and believe they are contagious should self-isolate, but see a medical provider as soon as possible.

Mumps usually goes away on its own in about 10 days and most people will recover completely within a few weeks.

While the MMR vaccine has helped cases plummet by more than 99 percent since 1967 in the U.S., mumps have become more common since 2006, according to the CDC. That’s largely due to waning immunity, Harvard researchers say.

Maryland, California and New York City have seen the most cases this year, federal data shows. There have been 157 cases across the country and 25 in California.

This isn’t the first time the SoCal school has seen an outbreak in recent years, either. In 2020, six cases were linked to an outbreak among students, according to a San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency webpage.

The number of mumps cases reported in the county in 2019 was the highest in 25 years.