DISTRICT SAYS ALL-CLEAR ON MUMPS SPATE

>> KALASIN: The Sahatsakhan district office says it has successfully contained the spread of mumps among 65 students and a teacher at a privately run primary school, alongside 10 visitors.

The office earlier sent a medical team to assess the outbreak started among the young students who were not properly inoculated, according to Theerapol Choknamchai, the district chief.

The students attended school in tambon Nikom. The 10 other patients were visiting from Muang, Somdet and Nong Kung Si districts, and reportedly contracted the disease from contact with the students.

Symptoms of mumps include high fever and swelling of the salivary glands. Patients may also suffer fatigue, body aches, headaches, loss of appetite and low-grade fever. The disease may lead to meningitis or encephalitis, two potentially fatal conditions if left untreated.

Mr Theerapol says several of the schoolchildren suffering from mumps had not received the full inoculation.

Those who had not completed the procedure have since followed up and been treated.

According to Mr Theerapol, the students with mumps were placed in separate classrooms before being allowed to return home. The disease did not affect their studies as the spread took place towards the start of the summer break one week ago.

The local public health office has inspected the private school and taken necessary measures to clean up the classrooms.

The office will also keep areas affected by mumps under close watch for the next 50 days. The disease is communicable as it can pass from one person to another through saliva, nasal secretions and close personal contact.

Mr Theerapol said the public should not be concerned about contracting the disease. He noted that in the past, locals who contracted mumps tended to seek treatment from clinics rather than hospitals, which made tracking the spread of the disease more difficult.