SUNY Plattsburgh > Student Life > Health & Psychological Services > Mumps

Mumps Outbreak at SUNY Plattsburgh Main Campus Has Ended

Updated: 3:38 p.m., Wednesday, May 19, 2010

The mumps outbreak at SUNY Plattsburgh is over with no cases or suspected cases presenting themselves over the past month.

Updated:  10 a.m., Wednesday, March 31, 2010

An outbreak of the mumps has hit the SUNY Plattsburgh main campus. Nine cases of students with mumps have been confirmed so far, with six more cases pending.

Three cases of mumps is considered an outbreak. Because of this, once the third case was confirmed late in the day Friday, March 12, the New York State Department of Health issued strict guidelines to minimize further spread of the disease, and college officials acted immediately in an effort to minimize the spread of the disease.

Then, Friday, March 19, the New York State Department of Health issued revised directives concerning the mumps outbreak at the SUNY Plattsburgh main campus, effective immediately. (Read NYS DOH News Release.) As a result, students should adhere to the following information:

New Guidelines from the N.Y.S. Department of Health

According to the revised directive from the Health Department, students who were born after Jan. 1, 1957, and who have NOT had TWO vaccinations against mumps will be PROHIBITED FROM CAMPUS unless they can provide documented evidence of past infection with the mumps virus or a current mumps titer (blood test) demonstrating immunity. These individuals will receive special notification of this exclusion by college officials.

The exclusion means that these individuals cannot return to campus residence halls, classes, any college facilities or extra-curricular activities until

  • 26 days after the last case is identified.
  • OR they receive a mumps or MMR vaccination.
  • OR they have been medically cleared to return.


Because of the urgency, SUNY Plattsburgh is contacting all students who, according to college records, have not met the requirements.  SUNY Plattsburgh officials are reaching out via telephone and/or e-mail this week to explain what these students need to do to return to campus.

I Did Not Receive a Call and/or E-Mail. What Should I Do?

  • If you have had TWO vaccinations, you do not need to do anything. You can return to campus.
  • If you have received ONLY ONE vaccination in your lifetime, you must have a second vaccination or obtain a titer (blood test) to prove that you are immune to mumps.
  • If you have had your FIRST VACCINATION WITHIN THE LAST 28 DAYS, you must, on day 29, obtain a second vaccination or obtain a titer to prove that you are immune to mumps.
  • If you have received NO vaccinations, you must:
    • Receive ONE dose, and you must, on day 29 obtain a SECOND vaccination or obtain a titer to prove that you are immune to mumps.
    • Have a documented record on file of a titer (blood test) proving immunity.
    • OR have a documented record on file indicating that you have had the mumps.

We will be notifying ONLY those students who, according to health center records, do not meet the above criteria. Otherwise, students may assume that they can return to campus.

I Need to Get a Vaccination to Return to Campus. Where Is It Available?

All students who have been excluded must report to the Center for Student Health and Psychological Services to either obtain the vaccine or show evidence of meeting the criteria before returning to residence halls, classes or any other on-campus facility.

Students may walk-in to the Center for Student Health and Psychological Services during normal hours (8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) and receive a free dose of the vaccine. Faculty and staff are invited to call the center at 518-564-2187 to schedule an appointment to receive the vaccine for free.

In addition, students may also contact their local county health department and receive a free dose of the MMR vaccine prior to returning to SUNY Plattsburgh. They should simply identify themselves as a SUNY Plattsburgh student in need of a dose of MMR vaccine because the campus has a mumps outbreak.

I Have Been Listed as Excluded But Have Documentation of Required Vaccinations. What Should I do?

Before you will be allowed to return to your residence halls or any other on-campus facilities OR attend classes, you will have to provide documentation of having a second mumps or MMR vaccination.  Prior to returning to campus, you can mail, fax or e-mail the documentation to the Center for Student Health and Psychological Services (see Contact Information below for submitting proof of vaccination). If you decide to wait until returning to campus, you must report first to the student health center with your documentation.

What About My Coursework?

College policy states that “…students will be held responsible for all class work missed regardless of the reasons for their absences … Excused absences from class may only be granted by the instructor for his or her particular class. The instructor is vested with the authority to make the ultimate decision on whether or not to accept a student’s excuse for planning to miss class (or for having missed classes).” (College Catalog 2009-2010, p. 35).

This means that if you are required to miss classes because of the mumps outbreak, you will need to contact your instructor(s) as soon as possible to discuss ways to make up any work that you may have missed. The college is encouraging instructors to be as flexible as possible in dealing with absences from class resulting from the mumps outbreak. 

If a large amount of work is missed because of circumstances beyond your control, and you are not able to make up the work during the remainder of the semester, you may wish to request that the instructor submit an “I” (Incomplete) grade for the class. However, this is up to the discretion of the instructor. If an “I” grade is submitted, it is then up to you to discuss with the instructor what work needs to be submitted and by what dates, in order to complete the requirements of the course.

Alternately, students may withdraw from class up until Friday, April 9.

What Is Mumps?

Mumps is a viral disease characterized by fever, headache, muscle weakness, stiff neck, loss of appetite, swelling and tenderness of one or more of the salivary glands situated along the angle of the jaw and inside the mouth, including the parotid gland (located within the cheeks just below the front of the ear). Approximately one-third of infected people do not have noticeable salivary gland swelling.

How Is It Transmitted?

The disease is transmitted by direct contact with saliva produced in the mouth and discharges from the nose and throat of infected individuals. The incubation period is usually from 16 to 18 days, although it may vary from 12 to 25 days. Mumps is contagious three days before until five days after the onset of parotitis (inflammation of the parotid gland).

I May Have Mumps. What Should I do?

Call your primary care provider for medical advice.

Further Information

 

Contact Information

For more information about SUNY Plattsburgh's response to the mumps outbreak, please contact:

Center for Student Health & Psychological Services
State University of New York at Plattsburgh
101 Broad Street
Plattsburgh, NY 12901

Telephone

  • Student Health: (518) 564-2187
  • Psychological Services: (518) 564-3086
  • Emergency Services: Call 911 or University Police 564-2022
  • Toll-free: (866) 858-4089

Fax:

  • Health (518) 564-2188
  • Psychological Services (518) 564-2376

E-mail: healthcenter@plattsburgh.edu