At GGD South East Brabant the only information being released about the cases currently confirmed is that these are students of both TU/e and Fontys. Matters like gender, program or other personal characteristics are never communicated, says spokesperson Saskia Smets. What she can say, however, is that all the students were at one time vaccinated, which greatly increases the likelihood of the disease manifesting in only a mild form.

From experience, GGD physician Ronald ter Schegget can confirm that the effectiveness of a vaccination against mumps at the age of fourteen does inevitably decline after some years and that students are a prime group in which the disease rears its head every now and again. "This is something we've seen in other student cities in the past," says Ter Schegget.

Stay at home

The Executive Board is appealing to students to remain alert to possible symptoms and asks that if they suspect they have contracted the disease, to report it to their physician or the GGD (municipal and regional health service) and to stay at home.

According to Ter Schegget in recent days reports have indeed been received from students with symptoms of headaches or muscular pain, although he believes these included no new cases of the disease. “Some students won't feel the need to visit the doctor, and you can only confirm that you've got mumps once your cheeks are clearly swollen. Then it's simply a matter of  convalescing. But it is good to tell people about it because that gives us a better picture of how the disease is spreading.”

As yet, according to the physician, there are no known cases among young people outside the student population, but he doesn't exclude the possibility. Ter Schegget finds the term 'outbreak' rather exaggerated for six cases, “we'd more likely refer to it as a cluster.”

Symptoms

The mumps virus spreads through coughing, sneezing, talking and making hand contact by way of small droplets from the nose cavity and throat (pharynx). People are already contagious before they fall ill and remain so for some five days afterwards. A case of mumps clears up by itself.

The first thing anyone coming down with the mumps tends to notice is the onset of a fever. Afterwards muscular pain and a headache start. Often there is only an infection of the upper airways. Typical of mumps is an inflammation of the salivary glands. This gives you a swollen cheek, on one or both sides. The enlarged salivary gland causes pain, especially when you open your mouth. Earache is a common symptom too. The swollen cheek disappears after about a week. A complication that can occur among men is an inflammation of the testicle.

To the question whether internationals form an extra risk group because they may not have been vaccinated in their home country, Ter Schegget says, "Off the top of my head I can't say whether there are any countries where vaccinations are not carried out, but as a rule young people outside the Netherlands are vaccinated against mumps. But anyone who becomes infected and hasn't been vaccinated does indeed have a chance of being affected more severely. And that also applies to Dutch people who for one reason or another have never been vaccinated."

Anyone with questions or who thinks they have caught the disease should contact the team for infectious disease control at the GGD South East Brabant: 088 0031 333 or email infectieziekten@ggdbzo.nl