Eight Mumps Cases Reported In Tulsa County

The Tulsa Health Department continues to investigate a mumps outbreak in Tulsa County.

They know of eight cases, one of which is a student at Owasso's 7th Grade Center.  

Owasso school officials are sending a letter home to parents letting them know their student may have been in contact with a student who has mumps.

Owasso Schools have also posted a fact sheet from the Oklahoma Department of Health with several questions and answers about the illness.

News On 6 spoke with Tulsa County health officials and they say no other schools have reported any cases of the mumps.

In the meantime, they advise parents to get their kids vaccinated.

"Someone who has received the vaccines, when they do get the disease, it tends to be a much milder course and a much shorter duration of disease," said Ellen Niemitalo with the Tulsa Health Department.

3/8/2017 Related Story: Mumps Outbreak Confirmed In Tulsa County

Tulsa County health officials say most of the mumps cases are adults. 

The virus can be spread through coughing, sneezing or sharing drinks -- anything that can pass saliva or mucus to another person.  They say it takes 16 to 18 days for symptoms to appear, so it's possible you could be infected and not know.

Symptoms are things like swollen glands, fever, headaches, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite.

The Tulsa County Health Department says it's important to stay home from work or school for at least five days after symptoms begin.  There's no treatment for mumps, but officials say most people recover within a few weeks.