The mumps outbreak which infected approimately 29 UC Berkeley students last semester appears to be officially over.
In a statement released by the city of Berkeley Monday, city Public Health Officer Janet Berreman said it has been more than three months — more than two incubation periods — since the last mumps patient was reported in the city, “which gives us confidence that the cycle of infection for this outbreak has been successfully disrupted.”
Last October, public health officials determined the outbreak began with a UC Berkeley student who contracted the virus in Great Britain.
According to the release, the outbreak was limited to to the school’s student population and was dominated by students who lived or spent time in high-density housing like dorms. Still, the scare prompted hundreds of UC Berkeley students and faculty to seek vaccination against the virus, braving intermittent rain and long lines at the UC Berkeley Tang Center for the immunization.
“We’re certainly relieved that mumps is no longer going around, but it is still cold and flu season,” Berreman said in the release. “It’s not too late to get a flu vaccine, and the habits that we all practiced last fall are still essential to maintaining good health: wash your hands, cover your cough, and stay home if you’re sick.”
Sarah Burns is the assistant city news editor.
Comment Policy
Comments should remain on topic, concerning the article or blog post to which they are connected. Brevity is encouraged. Posting under a pseudonym is discouraged, but permitted. The Daily Cal encourages readers to voice their opinions respectfully in regard to the readers, writers and contributors of The Daily Californian. Comments are not pre-moderated, but may be removed if deemed to be in violation of this policy. Click here to read the full comment policy.