FAYETTEVILLE — The Razorbacks will offer all athletes, coaches and staff access to the mumps, measles and rubella vaccine after multiple reported cases of mumps on the Fayetteville campus, the UA athletics department said on Monday.
“While student-athletes may or may not have been personally exposed to those individuals with confirmed cases, their daily interaction with others on campus, including other student-athletes, poses the possibility such exposure could adversely impact their health and wellbeing,” a statement from the department said. “Razorback Athletics remains committed to maintaining the health, safety and wellbeing of all of our student-athletes, coaches and staff members.”
The Arkansas Department of Health has confirmed nine cases of mumps on the UA campus this fall, and they are investigating other potential cases, according to a separate UA release.
Meg Mirivel, a spokeswoman for the health department, said officials would be on the UA campus on Monday assisting with vaccinations and taking samples.
Multiple Arkansas football players did not travel to the Razorbacks’ 56-20 loss at No. 1 LSU over the weekend due to an unspecified illness, but there was no word on whether any of those cases were mumps.
Arkansas interim head coach Barry Lunney Jr. was vague when asked whether any members of the Razorbacks' football team had been diagnosed with the illness. A team spokesperson said he could not confirm whether team members had mumps.
"Just based on the release, there’s players, students here that have been exposed to that," Lunney said, referencing the press release. "As far as the diagnosis and those things, we’re being very proactive and giving our guys the best immunization or optimal health that we can give them."
Mumps is a contagious disease that can be spread through saliva, by touch or through the air due to coughing or sneezing. The Mayo Clinic reports that symptoms of mumps can include pain in the swollen salivary glands on one or both sides of the face, pain while chewing or swallowing, fever, headache, muscle aches, weakness and fatigue and loss of appetite.