Mumps case reported at Parma City School District’s Hillside Middle School

SEVEN HILLS , Ohio (WJW) — A Parma City Schools middle-schooler has contracted mumps, school administrators confirmed.

The student is a seventh-grader at Hillside Middle School in Seven Hills, according to Superintendent Charles Smialek. The district first learned of the case on Wednesday night, he said.

“We are closely collaborating with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and have notified all Hillside families of this development,” Smialek said.

Mumps is a contagious disease caused by a virus, transmitted by saliva or respiratory droplets. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage on the illness . It can also lead to swelling of the salivary glands, causing “puffy cheeks and a tender, swollen jaw.”

Two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella, or MMR, vaccine are recommended for children, the first at between 12 months old and 15 months old and the second at between 4 years old and 6 years old, according to the CDC .

“Even though the vaccine has drastically reduced mumps cases, outbreaks still occur,” the CDC’s webpage reads.

“Outbreaks have most commonly occurred among groups of people who have prolonged, close contact, such as sharing water bottles or cups, kissing, practicing sports together, or living in close quarters, with a person who has mumps. Some vaccinated people may still get mumps if they are exposed to the virus. However, disease symptoms are milder in vaccinated people.”

As of 2023, more than 700 students were estimated to be enrolled at the school, according to Ohio Department of Education & Workforce data .

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