Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health has now confirmed 14 cases of mumps primarily in Guelph’s high school population just as students are about to start summer vacation or attend summer school.
Public health is advising students there is still an outbreak of mumps in the community. Although the 14 confirmed cases centre on Bishop MacDonnell, John F. Ross and Our Lady of Lourdes high schools, public health continues to monitor suspect cases in other area high schools.
“We want students to fully participate in summer jobs, volunteering or school, but we also want to stop the outbreak of this potentially serious disease,” said Dr. Nicola Mercer, medical officer of Health of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.
“Students who are off to summer jobs or volunteer opportunities should call and advise their family physician if they begin to develop symptoms, particularly if they are spending the summer around young children or someone with an underlying medical condition.
“If they are attending summer school, students need to be fully vaccinated or they may be excluded from attending class if there is another confirmed case linked to that school.”
Symptoms include fever; swelling and tenderness of the salivary glands, especially the lower cheek area on either or both sides of the face; headache; and cold-like symptoms. Mumps can cause serious illness and rarely result in orchitis (testicular inflammation), meningitis or hearing loss.
Public health officials say getting vaccinated is still the best way to prevent the disease. Before the vaccine was widely available an outbreak could result in hundreds of local cases. Until recently, there hadn’t been a local case since 2010.
