The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has been notified of a confirmed case of mumps on campus. Mumps is a contagious disease that is caused by the mumps virus. In adults, it can have serious complications.
University officials said Friday that a UL Lafayette student is at home recovering from mumps.
The Office of Public Health has been working in coordination with the UL Lafayette Student Health Center to identify close contacts and has been referring them to the Lafayette Parish Health Unit for immunizations if they are not fully immunized.
The university has notified students, faculty and staff about the confirmed case of mumps via e-mail and phone.
Mumps is spread through the respiratory droplets of saliva or mucus from the mouth, nose or throat of an infected person. It can also be spread by when someone with mumps touches items or surfaces without washing their hands and someone else then touches the same surface and rubs their mouth or nose.
Mumps typically starts with a few days of fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite and is followed by swelling of salivary glands, which are under the ears or jaw. Vaccination is the best prevention for mumps disease.
All UL Lafayette students should check their immunization records to ensure that they have the required two doses of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine. UL Lafayette students who have not been fully immunized can obtain the mumps vaccine at the Lafayette Parish Health Unit at 220 West Willow Street, Building A, by calling 262-5616 for an appointment or at their local health unit.
Louisiana law requires two doses of MMR vaccine for college entry. Signed waivers are allowed for students who have medical contraindications or personal or religious reasons for not complying with the immunization requirements.
Dr. DeWayne Bowie, vice president for Enrollment Management at UL Lafayette, said that UL Lafayette students who have obtained waivers are informed by the university that there are serious health risks for adults who contract mumps.
For more information, please go to www.louisiana.edu/Student/Health