Mumps Outbreak in Ohio State University: 23 Infected

Public health officials have confirmed 23 cases of mumps as the result of an outbreak at Ohio State University that started sometime earlier this month.

Eighteen students and a staff member are among those infected with the mumps virus. The additional three infections include a relative of a student and three people who have ties to the Ohio State University community.

This raises the official count of the infected by ten, following initial reports of 13 infections two weeks ago. These newest confirmations brings the count up to a total of 11 women and 12 men ranging from the age of 18 to 48.

According to statements by Columbus, Ohio health officials, three people have been hospitalized for the infection for at least 24 hours.

Mumps -- like rubella and measles -- is a highly contagious viral infection that causes welling of the salivary glands and flu-like symptoms. It spreads through coughing and sneezing, meaning it easily spreads to those who have not been immunized with the MMR vaccine.

Columbus Public Health (CPH) director Dr. Mysheika Williams Roberts told local public radio station WOSU that a significant portion of the students who have been infected have reported that they had been immunized at birth.

Unfortunately, according to Williams, taking the MMR vaccine does not ensure 100 percent safety from viral infection.

"The mumps component of the MMR vaccine has traditionally been known to be 80-90 percent effective," Williams explained to WOSU, meaning that there is always a small chance of the mumps virus still findings its hold on a vaccinated person, especially when components like stress or previous illness have compromised a healthy immune system.

According to reports from the Associated Press, CPH officials are currently mapping the activity of the 23 infected prior to discovery of the disease in the hopes of determine what the origin of the outbreak was.

Unlike measles and rubella, mumps has not been officially declared eliminated in the U.S. by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreaks in the U.S. are not uncommon. The last massive outbreak occured in 2006 involved over 6584 infections. Officals hope this most recent outbreak has been caught and isolated in a timely enough manner to prevent it from spreading state-wide.