Mumps Outbreak at Cal

If you feel sick and go to Cal it could be something more dangerous than a cold

Students at Cal have an extra assignment this week. They need to check their medical history to make sure they are caught up on their vaccination for mumps.

A mumps outbreak that was announced last week got a bit more serious on Tuesday when the health services website posted a new alert.

It's encouraging all Cal students, faculty and staff --  regardless of their vaccination history -- to receive an additional dose of the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine.  That group is also being told to review their  vaccination history, and get the vaccination if they are not sure whether they have received the proper doses.

Mumps is spread by droplets of saliva or mucus originating from  the mouth, nose or throat of an infected person. It's symptoms include fever, headaches, muscle aches and fatigue.  Symptoms generally develop 16 to 18 days after exposure.

The cases confirmed last week involved students residing on the  Clark-Kerr campus, which is about half a mile south of the main campus, and  living in the Cloyne student cooperative on the north side of campus. A  suspected case also involved a student residing in the Cheney Hall dormitory.

The number of confirmed cases was not provided in the alert.

Bay City News contributed to this report.

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