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What you need to know
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Philadelphia health officials said Monday that 54 people were suffering or likely to have measles at Temple University.
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There are 12 confirmed cases and 42 probable cases – an increase from 28 cases last week.
An outbreak of mumps continues to develop at Temple University. Public health officials now suspect that 54 people have contracted the viral infection.
The tests confirmed that 12 people had contracted the disease and that 42 others were considered probable cases, said a spokesman for the Philadelphia Ministry of Health on Monday.
The number of cases has increased dramatically last week. A countdown last Wednesday sits at 28.
A rumor also circulated among the students. The North Philadelphia University was considering a temporary closure due to the outbreak. The temple spokesman, Christopher Vito, rejected the suggestion saying in a Monday night email that "no conversation regarding the closing of the university has taken place".
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mumps can easily spread among the closest people through kissing, sharing cups and liquids, or playing sports. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Swelling of the salivary glands of a person causes swelling of the cheeks, characteristic of the disease.
The outbreak prompted Temple University to change its policy of vaccinating new students by asking them to receive two doses of MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella) before they entered school. The vaccine lowers your risk of contracting the virus by about 88%, said the CDC.
The effectiveness of the vaccine may decrease over time, however, a booster injection may be necessary to maintain the body's defenses against the virus. Municipal health officials have already explained that the number of cases is increasing.
Health officials recommend to students who may be infected to limit contact with other people.
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