School officials are asking parents at a Poway elementary school to be on alert after a child there was diagnosed with mumps.
The 9-year-old attended Highland Ranch Elementary for four days while infected. They have since returned to the school, having been deemed no longer contagious, however school officials are warning parents of the possible exposure.
Mumps is a viral disease which is spread through coughing, sneezing or close contact with an infected person and can cause a fever, headache, earache, and inflammation of the salivary glands among other things.
The child may have contracted the disease while on an international trip and due to the fact the child wasn’t up to date on recommended vaccinations, which lead to the developed symptoms of mumps, according to a media release.
School officials are coordinating an effort to reach out to parents alongside the county health office in order to inform families of students who may have been exposed to the disease, “We are working with school officials to make sure parents are aware of the potential exposure to mumps,” said Dr. Wilma Wooten, MD, MPH.
There is no treatment for mumps, though many people recover without problems.
