The mumps cases at Indiana University have more than doubled in a week during the outbreak

While the nation is battling a measles outbreak, the number of mumps cases at Indiana University has more than doubled since last week, officials said. school, similar outbreaks occurring at Temple University and Penn State University.

On Thursday morning, there are 17 cases of mumps on the Bloomington campus, up from seven last week. More than half of the cases were linked to a single fraternity, which would be at the root of the disease in February, said a school official.

"We are confident about the origin of everything that comes from us, which has helped us manage it," said HuffPost, university spokesman Chuck Carney. "It does not go around the campus."

University students must be vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella before the second semester at school. There is an exemption for religious reasons.

According to Carney, 14 of the 16 known cases on Wednesday received two doses of the MMR vaccine. One of them had only received one dose and the other had not received it because of a religious exception.

A clinic was recently held in the fraternity, where the outbreak was reportedly provoked and where 58 percent of its members received a third MMR vaccine, Carney said.

"It allows them to strengthen their immunity for about a month, which helps them protect themselves from the disease if they are exposed," he said.

The university uses to inform students of the spread of the disease and the steps they can take to prevent infection, which Carney said "simply practice good hygiene" . their hands.

"The basic things you would do to avoid any disease," he said.

Temple University in Philadelphia had faced a similar epidemic. As of Thursday, 155 cases were associated with the Temple University outbreak. Twelve of them are from surrounding counties, while the other 143 are in Philadelphia, the city's public health department said in an email.

The university said Tuesday that the number of active cases in the school is now less than 10. At the height of the outbreak in early March, there were 46 cases at school, according to the university, which would have issued more than 6,000 doses. of the MMR vaccine.

Penn State University has also treated several cases of mumps.

Since the beginning of April, the University Park School has announced in a statement released three confirmed cases and two other suspects. These figures were up to date Thursday, said a university spokesman at HuffPost in an email. Local channel WJAC-TV reported that the state health ministry considers it an epidemic.

Mumps is spread by direct contact with saliva or respiratory droplets from the mouth, nose or throat. This can happen if an infected person sneezes, coughs, talks, kisses or shares cups, bottles of water or cooking utensils. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it can also spread by touching objects or surfaces with unwashed hands and then by another person.

"An infected person can spread mumps a few days before their salivary glands begin to swell until five days after the start of swelling," says the CDC website. "A person with mumps should limit their contact with others during this time. For example, stay home from school and not attend social events. "

Health officials urged the public to receive the MMR vaccine. Some vaccinated people may still get mumps if they are exposed, but their symptoms will be less severe, the CDC said.

This information has been updated with information from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.