A high volume of spam on Monday afternoon caused a delay in the CatMail delivery system for several hours.

There were delays sending and receiving mail within CatMail, and reports showed they were due to an “incredible” amount of spam, according to Derek Masseth, senior director of infrastructure services for University Information and Technology Services. Masseth said UITS worked to get “in front of it” and “blacklist” the system sending spam.

This influx of spam happens about every four months, according to Masseth, and can “clog up” the delivery system for a few hours. Students can still access and work within CatMail, he said.

Initial delivery delay reports began coming into UITS around 10 a.m. and worsened around 11 a.m. An “all clear” has not officially been issued.

James Allen, president of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, said problems with CatMail have “delayed communication” and “hindered work” within ASUA. Problems included some messages not going through and being unable to receive messages.

“It’s not crippling, just difficult,” he said.

Other students surveyed said they did not experience problems while using the CatMail system.