Mumps Case Confirmed At Smithtown High School East On Long Island

SMITHTOWN, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A suspected case of the mumps at Smithtown High School East on Long Island has been confirmed, Suffolk County officials said Tuesday.

The county Department of Health Services announced Tuesday that the suspected case last month has turned out to be positive, according to a notice from Smithtown Central School District Supt. Dr. James Grossane.

A letter from the Department of Health Services said there is no risk to the public from the solitary mumps case since school is not in session. But parents were advised to take precautions in the event that they or their children develop mumps symptoms.

The symptoms of mumps may include fever, headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, loss of appetite, and swollen, tender salivary glands under the ears or the jaw on one or both sides of the face, according to the department. Complications can sometimes include swelling of the testicles in men or the ovaries or breasts in women, and meningitis, the department said.

Mumps is usually spread by mucus or droplets from the nose or throat of someone who is infected and choughs or sneezes, the department said. It can also be spread through surfaces that come in contact with infected droplets.

Those who suspect they or their children might have contracted mumps are advised to notify their doctor right away before going to the doctor's office. A doctor may advise an infected person to stay home for five days after the onset of salivary gland swelling.

Doctors who suspect mumps cases are advised to notify the Suffolk County Department of Health Services Division of Public Health, at (631) 854-0333.

The mumps has also been going around the NHL in recent weeks. A handful of members of the Devils and Rangers have caught the illness.

More information about mumps is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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