A mumps outbreak has spread from Wheaton College to two other small schools in Chicago's western suburbs.
The Wheaton College outbreak has spread to 47 cases, the DuPage County Health Department told the Chicago Tribune. Five more cases are under investigation, the newspaper said.
Elmhurst College has confirmed its first case, while Benedictine College in Lisle reported a case last week.
A total of 72 cases of mumps have been reported in DuPage County so far this year.
State health officials say the number of mumps cases reported this year in Illinois is on the upswing. The state has averaged 13 cases over the past five years, but as of Sept. 28, the Illinois Department of Public Health has recorded 636 cases in 2006, state officials said in release.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
