More than 2,000 migrants in ICE detention centers quarantined following an outbreak of disease

More than 2,000 people detained by US Immigration and Customs are in quarantine after the outbreak of contagious diseases, including mumps.

"As of March 7, 2019, a total of 2,287 inmates were grouped together to be exposed to an inmate in a contagious state," ICE spokesman Brendan Raedy told CNN.

According to Raedy, ICE investigators found 236 mumps cases reported, with 16 other suspected cases in 51 detention centers over the past 12 months. According to CNN, no mumps treatment center was reported between January 2016 and February 2018.

ICE did not immediately respond to HuffPost's request for feedback on the mumps outbreak.

Mumps is a contagious disease normally transmitted by saliva. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the symptoms include fever, muscle pain and swollen salivary glands resulting in swollen cheeks and swollen jaw. It often takes weeks before symptoms become noticeable in people with mumps.

Epidemics generally occur when groups of people have been in close and prolonged contact with a person with mumps, such as migrants in detention.

The growing number of people in immigration detention under the administration of President Donald Trump has sparked concern over outbreaks. More than 50,000 migrants are in the custody of ICE, according to the agency's data.

Reuters initially reported quarantine, stating that a detention center in a rural area of ​​Louisiana had quarantined hundreds of people in January. Last year's health surveys revealed that 423 migrants in detention were infected with the flu and 461 with chickenpox, according to the report. Mumps, influenza and chickenpox are largely preventable with vaccination.

US Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said at a press conference last week that border authorities were overwhelmed with health issues as more and more people died. Central American immigrants arrived in the country "with diseases and health problems". In Guatemala and Honduras, countries of origin of many migrants, are over 90 percent.

The Denver Post reported detainees at a Colorado detention center went on a hunger strike to draw attention to the spread of infectious diseases, which resulted in many quarantines in the center.