IU mumps cases total grows to 17

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — Indiana University said Thursday it has 17 confirmed cases of mumps among students on the Bloomington campus. 

Nine of the new cases are associated with the fraternity that was previously identified as having students with mumps. The university said the cases are affiliated with the fraternity, however they are not all necessarily members of the fraternity, but may have gone to the fraternity house. IU is not disclosing the name of the fraternity at this time.

IU said campus officials are working with the Monroe County Health Department on how to treat further cases as they arise and notifying students that may have come in contact with the affected students.

The university said it continues to monitor the situation but does not plan a large-scale immunization clinic at this time. 

Mumps is a viral illness that affects glands that produce saliva. The IU Health Center says symptoms of mumps may include these signs:

• Swelling and tenderness in front of and below one or both ears and along the jaw.
• Pain along the jaw and in front of and below one or both ears.
• Fever.
• Tiredness.
• Muscle aches.
• Loss of appetite.

The mumps vaccine is part of routine childhood shots. U.S. health officials recommend that, by age 6, all children get vaccinated for mumps, measles and rubella.