Health officials say child has the mumps

Officials are warning the public to be on the lookout for symptons after an 8-year-old has been diagnosed.

NORRISTOWN » Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Office of Public Health is currently investigating a confirmed case of mumps in an 8-year-old resident. The patient was evaluated at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

The patient presented with parotitis (swelling of the salivary gland), the most common symptom of mumps. During th health office’s investigation, it was verified that the patient is up to date with Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine.

The health office’s ongoing investigation will include interviewing the family to confirm household/close contact immunity status and exclusion recommendation if necessary. Health officials will also be assisting the child’s school in communicating to their parent population on education and prevention messaging.

The county declined to identify the patient’s location in order to protect the patient’s privacy.

Mumps is a virus that is transmitted by direct contact with saliva and discharges from the nose and throat of an infected patient. Contact includes behaviors that would result in exchanging saliva such as kissing, sharing utensils, cups, lip balm or cigarettes. Mumps can be spread three days before a person becomes ill with parotitis and up to five days after the start of parotitis. During the infectious period, when the virus can spread, patients are recommended to be isolated to reduce the spread.

The health office recommends that if any individual is experiencing signs and symptoms consistent with mumps to contact their health care provider immediately. Health officials also urge residents to verify the immunity status for mumps. Mumps is a vaccine-preventable disease that can be prevented by receiving the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine series, which protects from all three infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends children receive two doses of the MMR vaccine; one dose at 12-15 months of age and the second dose at 4-6 years of age. The CDC recommends, in situations where there is an outbreak, that a third dose for those who are at increased risk of acquiring Mumps.

Consistent to what is currently being seen in Montgomery County, the CDC has reported an increase in mumps cases in the United States in recent years and contributes the increase of outbreaks to