Two undergraduate students at the University of San Diego have been diagnosed with the highly contagious mumps.
Health officials said the first student, who lives off campus, was diagnosed in February and the second student – a close friend of the first student and who lives on campus – was diagnosed this week with “probable mumps.”
Only one of the students was up to date on immunizations, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency reported in a news release Friday.
It wasn’t clear where the first student was exposed to the viral disease. Health officials said between one and three cases are reported each year in San Diego and usually occur after overseas travel.
Currently, USD is notifying all students and encouraging them to get vaccinated.
Mumps is spread by coughing, sneezing or close contact with an infected person, officials said. Symptoms include fever, headache, earache and inflamed salivary glands.
Health officials said the best way to prevent mumps is to get the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.
