Temple students taking precautions as mumps outbreak continues

NORTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The cases of mumps tied to an outbreak at Temple University continue to climb.

Today Temple notified students, faculty and staff it's tracking 28 cases - 11 confirmed and 17 probable ones.

"I don't know it's scary and I'm not trying to get sick," Matt Messner, a sophomore, told us.

Many students at Temple university are talking about the current outbreak of the mumps virus on campus. One says he knows people infected.

"He's not my roommate but he's on my floor so we're taking extra precautionsm," offered freshman Sam Letti.

The mumps is contagious- especially when people are living in close contact. It's spread through saliva and respiratory secretions and can cause fever, headaches, loss of appetite and the tell take sign- swollen salivary glands.

"It's one of the things the Health Department is trying to do, isolate a pattern," says Mark Denys, MHA, RN, Temple's director of student and employee health.

Denys says so far three mass emails have gone out - the latest today - letting students and faculty know about confirmed and probably cases.

The school is also reaching out to anyone in close contact with someone diagnosed with the mumps.

"So roommates, significant others, boyfriends, girlfriends - those are the people we're contacting and trying to make sure they get a booster," noted Denys.

That means they're asked to get another dose of the mumps vaccine. Anyone sick is also urged to stay away from others.

"So if they have symptoms, self isolate for 5 days, try to limit contact with other people," he adds.

Students I spoke with say they're reading the emails and taking precautions.

"I keep hand sanitizer, not touching things, washing my hands," junior Alexis Mullins told us. And you're not sharing drinks or utensils? "No absolutely not."