Suspected cases of mumps at Abington High School

ABINGTON, Pennsylvania (WPVI) – A suspected case of mumps at Abington High School in Montgomery County prompted the principal to send a letter to parents Thursday.

The letter states that "the Montgomery County Public Health Bureau is currently investigating a student from Abington Senior High School with an alleged mumps case".

It states that a child with symptoms should be excluded from the group for at least five days. The director also asks the parents to confirm that their child is well vaccinated according to their age.

Mumps is viral and presents with symptoms such as fever, swelling and sensitivity of the salivary glands.

It is spread by saliva or mucus and a person can be contagious before presenting the symptoms.

The news in Abington comes as the number of mumps infections at Temple University has increased to 86 cases. Temple will hold vaccination clinics next week to prevent future cases.

An off-campus student from West Chester University who recently visited Temple contracted mumps and was ordered to not attend classes or stay in solitary confinement.

A person who receives two doses of vaccine has a risk reduction of about 88%, but the risk is not erased, especially away from college life.

Doctors say that if you are vaccinated and you still have mumps, you are less likely to have severe symptoms and develop complications.