Dean advises students to be aware of symptoms
Two University of Idaho students on the Moscow campus have been diagnosed with mumps, a contagious viral disease. Dean of Students Bruce Pitman said UI received a notice late Wednesday morning, and the Department of Public Health Idaho North Central District confirms both students are no longer contagious.
Pitman said those living in close contact with the infected students have been notified, and the university is unaware of any other cases.
A Vandal Alert informing students about the diagnoses was sent out Thursday afternoon as a precautionary measure, Pitman said. He advised students to be aware of the symptoms of mumps, which includes fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, loss of appetite, followed by swelling of the salivary glands. He said students should seek immediate medical care with the onset of any symptoms.
Mumps patients are contagious for approximately five days, according to the Department of Public Health.
According to Pitman, one of the students lives on campus. He said it’s unclear when exactly the students first sought medical attention for their symptoms and when they were contagious — but Pitman said it was sometime in the last two weeks.
Hannah Shirley can be reached at [email protected]