Mumps Cases Reported in Cortland County

(Photo from como.gov).

Cortland County Public Health Director Catherine Feuerherm has reported one confirmed, and several suspected cases of mumps in Cortland County since February 20th.

These cases are students at State University of New York (SUNY) at Cortland. Director Feuerherm explained, “It is important to remember that mumps is a vaccine preventable disease and because of high vaccination rates, mumps is no longer very common in the United States. While sporadic cases can still occur among vaccinated individuals and outbreaks have occurred on college campuses across New York State and the US, the best way to protect against mumps is to get the measles-mumps-rubella shot (MMR shot).”

Mumps is a serious contagious viral disease passed through saliva and respiratory secretions of an ill individual. Symptoms include: fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, loss of appetite, and swollen and tender salivary glands under the ears or along the jawline on one or both sides. Severe symptoms can include meningitis and swelling of the testis. An ill person can transmit the disease for two days before the onset of swollen salivary glands and 5 days afterwards. There is no specific treatment.

Prevent the spread of mumps:

  • Check with your doctor to be sure that your vaccinations are up to date. The mumps vaccine is given as part of the MMR vaccine.
  • If you have swollen salivary glands under the ears on one or both sides, seek medical care immediately and stay out of work and/or school for the time as advised by your health care provider
  • If you believe you have been exposed and will seek medical care, please contact your medial office in advance so that they can be prepared to limit your contact to those not exposed.
  • Avoid sharing drinks, cover your cough, and stay home if you are sick.
  • If you are a close contact of a person diagnosed with mumps, watch for symptoms for 25 days.

The Cortland County Health Department is working closely with the New York State Department of Health and SUNY Cortland, and will continue monitoring the situation and informing the public.

For more information about mumps visit www.cdc.gov/mumps.

This is a press release from the Cortland County Health Department.