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VOLUME 113 ISSUE 92
TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2019 Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida
Not officially associated with the University of Florida
UF suffers May mumps outbreak SO FAR 18 UF STUDENTS HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH MUMPS By Tori Whidden Staff Writer
On May 19, her first day of active duty at Fort Knox, second army lieutenant and recent UF criminology graduate, Caillin Heron, was eating with her friends when she noticed it was hard to chew. The 22-year-old’s jaw discomfort worsened after swelling progressed. She woke up the next day with a 102-degree fever which sent her to the hospital, she said. Five days later, Heron was diagnosed with the mumps. “I’m pretty pissed at UF because I don’t feel that they were very proactive when I told them I had the mumps,” Heron said. “We get alerts all the time about suspects robbing Bojangles’, but this is actually pertinent.” Heron’s doctor told her that most people receive the vaccine as a toddler, but after 20 years, the vaccine reduces to 88 percent effective. Now, Heron encourages her friends, family and strangers to receive a third MMR vaccine to almost guarantee immunity against measles, mumps and
rubella. Heron is one of the 18 vaccinated UF students confirmed with having mumps, said UF spokesperson Steve Orlando. The university diagnosed and recorded the first mumps case of this outbreak on May 3. Mumps is a viral illness contracted by oral transmission. The illness is characterized by swollen glands, particularly around the jawline and neck, a fever and fatigue, Orlando said. “Saliva is the easiest way to spread it,” Orlando said. “That’s why they say don’t share. No sharing drinks or eating utensils and kissing, another thing that is popular among college students.” Mumps cases and outbreaks have increased every five years since 2006, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Outbreaks can occur in communities of people who have received the standard recommended two doses or fewer of the MMR vaccine and are particularly common in close-contact settings. High vaccination coverage helps limit the size, duration and spread of mumps outbreaks. Since the two-MMR dose vaccination program was introduced in 1989, U.S. mumps cases decreased by more than 99 percent, according to the CDC.
SEE MUMPS, PAGE 3
Courtesy of Caillin Heron
Caillin Heron, a second army lieutenant and 22-year-old UF criminology graduate, was diagnosed with the mumps in her first week of active duty at Fort Knox. Her symptoms started with a discomfort in her jaw and quickly escalated to a high fever and swollen jaw.
Florida brush fire tally at 91 and counting A LACK OF RAINFALL ACTS AS A MAJOR CULPRIT IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FIRES By Ashley Lazarski Staff Writer
Retired UF janitor Jeffrey Barnes was charged with aggravated stalking. SEE JANITOR, PAGE 4
Baseball loses in NCAA Regional
Outfielder Kendrick Calilao and the UF baseball team’s season came to an end with a loss to Dallas Baptist on Sunday, pg. 10
Ninety-one active fires across the state have been reported as of Monday, but this number can change several times a day, according to Ludie Bond, the wildfire mitigation specialist at the Waccasassa Forestry Center.
An active fire is uncontained, no matter how long it has been burning. A fire can only be considered inactive once there is no longer any visible smoke or flame. To contain these fires, firefighters use bulldozers to plow ditches around them. When the fire reaches the edge of the ditch, it cannot continue further because the dirt will not burn, so it is considered contained, Bond said. Most of these fires are caused by lightning, but some
Graduation task force recommends changes
are “incendiary” fires, which means that they are caused by humans. Sometimes, these fires are caused by burning debris, Bond said. To combat incendiary fires, some counties enact burn bans, which prevent citizens from starting fires, especially when they are too close to homes and other flammable structures. This allows fire departments to focus on lightning-caused fires and other unpreventable situations, Bond said. “Right now, of course, we’re
UF’s President’s Commencement Task Force outlined its recommendations in a 31-page report, pg 3
encouraging people not to burn anything until we get significant rainfall, but we also have a sheet of tips such as not burning on windy days or leaving your fire unattended,” Bond said. Bond also recommends following a three-step plan called “ready, set, go.” “Ready” asks homeowners to make a fire-defendable space around their homes by clearing away dry leaf litter that can
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UF emphasizes hurricane preparedness
UF is preparring on-campus shelters and pet resources, pg 5
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SEE FIRE, PAGE 3