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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A mumps outbreak in central Ohio has grown to more than 200 confirmed cases, public health officials said Monday.
A total of 212 cases of the contagious viral illness, with 132 of those linked to Ohio State University, have been reported. That includes 96 students and 13 staff members.
Those infected range in age from 9 months to 70 years old, local health agencies said. The cases span from early January to late last week.
Mumps often starts with fever, fatigue and body aches. Those infected are urged to stay home, cover their mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing, and frequently wash their hands.
Officials have urged residents of the region to make sure they've been inoculated with two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mumps is no longer common in the United States since routine vaccination programs began, though outbreaks do occur. Before the vaccination programs began, about 186,000 cases were reported annually but have since seen a decrease of more than 99 percent, according to the CDC website.
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