A college campus in northern New Jersey is on alert after eight students were diagnosed with the highly contagious mumps disease.
The students at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken were 18 to 21 years old and fully vaccinated against mumps, according to the school. Some of them lived in the same fraternity house and some were members of the lacrosse team, according to other students on campus.
They were sent home to be isolated from other students during the infectious phase of the illness.
James Shannon, a junior who said he was an acquaintance of the sick students, said they seemed to be OK.
"From what we heard from the other guys in the house, on the team, they said they're doing fine," said Shannon.
The mumps vaccine, which all students are required to have before attending Stevens Tech, doesn't provide full protection, according to doctors. A similar outbreak was reported at Fordham University earlier this year.
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Stevens Tech sent an email to students urging them to visit a doctor if they showed symptoms of mumps, including swollen and tender glands on their face, fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite.
Hoboken residents were also being alerted to the outbreak.
Shannon said he went to the health center last week when he had the flu.
"They were extra cautious to make sure it wasn't the mumps," he said. "Seems like everyone in the administration is on high alert."
