This article appeared in NJ.com. Read the full story here.
A student at Grice Middle School in Hamilton Township, Mercer County was diagnosed with mumps, the district said in a letter to parents.
The Hamilton Township School District did not offer any other information about the student in the letter which was issued on Wednesday.
The New Jersey Department of Health said it was also investigating as well as the Mercer County Division of Public Health but did not confirm the diagnosis.
“A probable case of mumps in Mercer County was reported to the NJ Department of Health,” a state health department spokeswoman told NJ Advance Media Thursday evening. “Local health officials are investigating.”
If the student does in fact have mumps, it would be the second confirmed case of the rare disease in New Jersey this year.
The state health department spokeswoman said there was a confirmed case of mumps in January, but said she was unsure exactly where the disease was found or whom was diagnosed.
Mumps is no longer common, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said, thanks to the mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
The virus is often spread through coughing, sneezing, talking and sharing cups or other utensils.
Mumps symptoms can include puffy cheeks and tender, swollen jaw, along with fever and headache, according to the CDC. The disease is spread by direct contact with saliva or respiratory droplets.