Two cases of mumps have been confirmed in Randall County.
The City of Amarillo's Public Health Department issued information yesterday that two cases of mumps have been confirmed in the Amarillo area. Casie Stoughton, director of public health, attributes the outbreak of the mumps in Texas to declining vaccination rates.
Mumps is best known as a virus that causes puffy cheeks, a swollen jaw, and swollen glands in the mouth. Other symptoms of the mumps include fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite. Coughing, sneezing, and sharing cups and utensils are common ways for the virus to spread.
If you believe that you have a case of the mumps, you are encouraged to contact your health provider, stay home for five full days, cover your mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze and wash your hands frequently.
