HUHS Director Confirms Four New Mumps Cases at Harvard

Harvard has confirmed four additional mumps cases among students, bringing the total number to six, according to an email Harvard University Health Services director Paul J. Barreira sent Wednesday afternoon.

According to Barreira, the affected students are currently in isolation, and HUHS, the Cambridge Public Health Department, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health are working to determine the scope of the exposure.

People who have been vaccinated for mumps are much less likely to contract the virus, though they could still become infected, Barreira wrote. He also recommended that students contact their healthcare provider to ensure they are fully immunized.

The email contained suggestions for preventing the spread of mumps, encouraging students to take preventive measures—including washing their hands frequently, covering noses and mouths when coughing or sneezing, and refraining from sharing glasses, eating utensils, and water bottles.

Barreira also included medical resources in his email, including phone numbers to call if one experiences symptoms and a link to the HUHS website containing more information about mumps.

His email follows an alert on Tuesday first notifying students of the mumps outbreak.

—Staff writer Menaka V. Narayanan can be reached at menaka.narayanan@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @mnarayanan97.