DALLAS COUNTY

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Epidemiology and Acute Communicable Disease

Date: 4/4/2017

To: Cedar Valley College Nurse

Re: Notification of Possible Mumps Exposure

Students and staff of Cedar Valley College may have been recently exposed to mumps by a case
identified at the school. Mumps is a contagious disease that is spread by respiratory droplets or saliva.
It can be spread within 3-6 feet when an infected person coughs or sneezes or by direct contact with
infected secretions (e.g., sharing drinks). Common symptoms of mumps are fever, muscle aches, and
swelling of the salivary glands (usually the parotid gland). This may feel like an earache or may present
as painful swelling near the cheeks and/or along the jaw and neck.
Persons with mumps are infectious from about two days before the salivary gland swelling appears and
up to about five days after. Exposed persons who become infected will develop symptoms 12 to 25
days after their exposure. Please have everyone monitor for swelling near their cheeks and/or along
their jaw and neck, over the next few weeks. If anyone develops symptoms of mumps, there are
several things he/she should do to help prevent spreading the virus to others:
If swelling occurs, the student or staff member should contact a doctor for testing. We ask that the
person please call ahead to the doctor to inform them that he/she may have a case of mumps, so
that the office can take appropriate infection control precautions before he/she arrives. Please
also have student and staff members inform the school nurses office of his/her symptoms.
If a person is diagnosed with possible mumps, he/she should not attend any classes and should
stay at home away from other people for 5 days after the day the swelling is first noticed.
During the time the person is at home, he/she should minimize close contact with others,
especially babies, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems who cannot be
vaccinated.
If the person must be in contact with other people during this 5-day period, he/she should wear a
surgical mask.
Cover his/her mouth and nose with a tissue when they cough or sneeze.
Wash hands well and often with soap.
Do not share drinks or eating utensils.
If someone experiences mumps symptoms, please have them contact their healthcare provider and
inform them of the exposure to mumps. If a student, staff member, or a healthcare provider has any
questions, please call the Cedar Valley College nurse at (972) 860-8277 or Dallas County Health and
Human Services at (214) 819-2004
Information about mumps is available from the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/mumps/index.html.
For questions, please contact Dallas County Health and Human Services at (214) 819-2004.

2377 Stemmons Freeway Office (214) 819-2004

Dallas, Texas 75207-2710 FAX (214) 819-6095