Glastonbury

Glastonbury High School Student Diagnosed With Mumps

NBCUniversal, Inc.

A Glastonbury High School student has been diagnosed with mumps and school officials have notified parents.

Mumps is a contagious disease caused by a virus and it typically starts with a few days of fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Then most people will have swelling of their salivary glands, which causes puffy cheeks and a tender, swollen jaw.

Local pediatrician Jack Lavalette said one case is nothing to be alarmed about.

"We spoke to the Health Department in town today who assured us that the Department of Public Health was involved and they were looking at it and as of now, it’s only one documented case which does not count as an epidemic. So there’s no reason to take any unique precautions at this point," he explained.

Symptoms of Mumps:

  • Puffy cheeks
  • Tender, swollen jaw
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches
  • Tiredness
  • Loss of appetite
  • Symptoms typically appear 16 to 18 days after infection, but it can range from 12 to 25 days after infection.
  • Some people who get mumps have very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all and may not know they have the disease.
  • In rare cases, mumps can cause more severe complications.

How Mumps Is Spread:

Through direct contact with saliva or droplets from the mouth, nose, or throat by:

  • Coughing, sneezing, or talking
  • Sharing items that may have saliva on them, such as water bottles or cups
  • Participating in close-contact activities with others, such as playing sports, dancing, or kissing
  • Touching objects or surfaces with unwashed hands that are then touched by others

Vaccine for Mumps:

The mumps vaccine is usually given as part of a combination vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR). This vaccine is only licensed for use in children who are 12 months through 12 years of age.

Children should get two doses of MMR vaccine: the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age.

The CDC recommends that anyone born in 1957 or after who has never had the mumps vaccine should get at least one dose of the MMR vaccine.

Mumps Cases and Outbreaks:

From Jan. 1, 2019 through Dec. 28, 2019, 48 states and the District of Columbia reported mumps infections in 3,474 people to CDC.

Learn More About Mumps

Learn more about mumps on the CDC website.

Contact Us