CHERRY HILL TWP. -- A child at Cherry Hill East has been diagnosed with mumps, a virus that has seen increased outbreaks in recent years.

School Principal Dennis Perry notified parents in a letter Monday about the single case of mumps. He said classrooms would be cleaned thoroughly and staff will continue to monitor to make sure the one case does not spread.

Mumps is recognizable by the swelling of the cheeks and jaw area, caused by swollen salivary glands, Perry wrote. However, someone with mumps can spread the virus via saliva and mucus before he or she begins to show any symptoms.

Symptoms, which can be very mild, usually appear 16 to 18 days after infection. Most people recover within a few weeks, Perry said. The virus is often spread through coughing, sneezing, talking and sharing cups or other utensils.

Is the anti-vax movement waning?

Perry said children and adults are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination will not come down with the virus, but anyone who is unsure about the status of the vaccination should check with his or her doctor.

Mumps is no longer common, the Center for Disease Control said, thanks to the vaccine. But 2016 was the worst year for mumps outbreak in 10 years, with 5,311 cases reported to the CDC. There were outbreaks at college campuses in 2015 and 2016.

From Jan. 1 to 28, 495 cases of mumps were reported in 27 states. 

Newsweek reported that experts credit the rise in cases with the fact that the vaccine does not completely protect a person, plus the number of people who do not have their children vaccinated.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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