SAN DIEGO – People at three San Diego County high schools tested positive for mumps and may have exposed students, teachers and staff to the virus, the county health officials said Tuesday.
The possible exposures to mumps happened during school hours on the dates listed below at the following schools:
- High Tech High School International on Oct. 21-22
- La Jolla High School on Oct. 21-23, 25 and 28
- San Pasqual High School on Oct. 17-18 and 21-24.
The County Health and Human Services Agency is encouraging anyone who was on one of the campuses on the listed dates to watch for the mumps symptoms, which can start to show 12 to 25 days after exposure to the virus.
Mumps is highly contagious and spreads by coughing, sneezing or close contact with an infected person. It causes fever, headache, earache, and swelling and tenderness under the jaw. If you think you have mumps, contact a healthcare provider before going in for a checkup so precautions can be taken to prevent exposing others to the virus.
“If your showing signs just stay home and not go to social gatherings not go to school not go to work just stay home,” said Dr. Fadi Haddad, infectious diseases physician with Sharp Grossmont Hospital.
There is no treatment for mumps, but severe complications from the virus are rare. They include meningitis, permanent hearing loss and decreased fertility. A very rare complication is loss of a fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Local health officials said 47 mumps cases have been reported so far in 2019, which is the highest number in the past 25 years.
