With nearly 25 percent of the 1,273 reported cases in the state being among those 18 to 22 years old, the state’s mumps epidemic has hit Iowa colleges and universities hard.

According to information from the Iowa Department of Public Health, Iowa university students are more likely to spread the viral infection than any other population in Iowa. In response, student health officials at Iowa State will be offering free immunizations during Finals Week.

Mumps is a contagious viral infection that can cause painful swelling of the parotid glands, which are the salivary glands located between the ear and the jaw.

“Typically, mumps is a very mild or moderate illness in people,” said Kevin Teale, communications director for the Iowa Department of Public Health. “There are some complications that we are concerned about that are out there.”

Some of the complications include victim hospitalization, and sterilization in some men. In the ’60s there were cases of the disease causing deafness.

Outbreaks have varied and free vaccinations have been made available at both Iowa State and the University of Iowa, both of which have reported cases of mumps.

“[We’ve had] 62 lab-confirmed cases,” said Lisa James, associate director of student health at the University of Iowa. “We’ve seen about 160 students with mumps-like symptoms – and we tested the majority of those students – and only 62 have tested positive for the mumps antibodies.”

James said those who do not test positive for mumps but have the symptoms are counted as reported cases and are treated like the others who have the infection.

“I know that [the department’s numbers] have over a thousand now and they are calling it ‘confirmed and probable cases of the mumps,'” James said. “They are all being reported as the mumps illness.”

Iowa State has also had similar findings, but less confirmed cases.

“We have had four cases that have confirmed on campus and a number more that we are suspicious of at this time,” said Marc Shulman, staff physician at Thielen Student Health Center.

Both Iowa and Iowa State are offering the free vaccinations to students and are encouraging 18- to 22-year-olds to get the MMR vaccine.

“I think people outside that age group are going to be in the next wave of vaccination,” James said. “The 18- to 22-year-old age group is where the peak incidents of mumps have been in the state, so all cases have fallen predominately in that age group.”

The age group decision stems from changes made more than a decade ago in MMR requirements.

“In 1991 we went to a two MMRs shot requirement for kids entering elementary school,” Teale said.

“So someone who is 18- to 19-years-old now probably fell outside that window and have only received one mumps shot,” he said.

The University of Northern Iowa is the only Regent institution that is not offering the free vaccinations to the students – citing that it was not needed – although its reported cases of mumps rivals the University of Iowa’s.

“We did about four different studies and there was no reason for us to take any free vaccines, because all of our studies show that all of our students have had two [MMR shots],” said Sue Courts, student health director at Northern Iowa. “There was no reason to give them a third dose.”