Mumps cases in Iowa among college students

Parents Forum
1

<p>See today's NYTimes:
"Christine F. Cassa, a University of Iowa freshman, got the mumps a few weeks ago, along with four or five other students on her dormitory floor. She said she had heard of about a dozen cases in her 900-student dormitory, Burge Hall.</p>

<p>"The dorms are so like close quarters," Ms. Cassa said. "You're around so many people, and you don't think about what you're touching and what you're drinking, and people share a lot of stuff."</p>

<p>Since December, the university's student health service has confirmed 55 cases, said Lisa James, associate director of student health
"</p>

<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/20/health/20mumps.html?ei=5094&en=5d2396863d8cf0cc&hp=&ex=1145592000&adxnnl=1&partner=homepage&adxnnlx=1145557222-N/nxhZ6lzTQTXZ3rTH8n4A%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/20/health/20mumps.html?ei=5094&en=5d2396863d8cf0cc&hp=&ex=1145592000&adxnnl=1&partner=homepage&adxnnlx=1145557222-N/nxhZ6lzTQTXZ3rTH8n4A&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

2

<p>achat, I read this article, too and I'm a little apprehensive about this. I do suppose it'll die down by August/September, right? I have no knowledge of the mumps and how long it's infection time is.</p>

3

<p>I wonder if my son didn't have it when he left for Spring break in March. I talked with him on the phone and he had a fever and swollen throat/jaw area. He visited my family in CA and visited the doctor twice during that time because he was a "wreck." Seemed to think at the end it was wisdom teeth. I wasn't there but when the news came out about the mumps about a week later, I went, Hmmmm? He was vaccinated the right amount of times and at the right ages. He was also travelling around on several planes from Wi to Minneapolis to SF. And funny thing, the "wisdom teeth" just went away after 10 days or so. I don't know.</p>

4

<p>From what I've read in this area (I work in Iowa) they actually think that this outbreak might have started from an overseas student (British they thought)bringing it back to Iowa. They have also had stories about how it might have spread because of airline travel (close quarters) and people who were traveling before they knew they were infected. They have also indicated that in about a quarter of the cases the people have been vaccinated (they tend to get a milder case).</p>

5

<p>IzzyJ, I hope it will die out by September. But the newspapers are making a lot of this "epidemic" as the headline says. Scary.</p>

6

<p>I hope it doesn't spread to Wisconsin... Or Chicago... Or, heck, I hope it's over by August! Or else attending college at any of the 3 Midwest colleges that accepted me would be...frightful?</p>

7

<p>There are doctors and health care professionals among the parents here who would be better able to answer, sorry about that...</p>