By KWMU/AP
St. Louis, MO – A teacher and student at Clayton High School were sent home Tuesday after complaining of mumps-like symptoms. Health officials in St. Louis County are working to confirm just what the two, both female, have.
The school sent a letter home to parents, saying most students should have been vaccinated but parents should check records to make sure.
So far, about 75 mumps cases have been reported in Missouri. In Iowa, more than 1,100 cases have been reported.
"Neither of these two instances are confirmed cases of mumps," said the letter that parents received Tuesday. "Due to the length of time it takes to confirm a diagnosis of mumps via laboratory tests, the [Department of Health] has mandated that all suspicious and presumed cases be excluded from school as if they were confirmed cases. While we do not want to alarm you, we do want to keep you informed."
Mumps is spread by airborne transmission with mucus or droplets from the nose or throat of an infected person, usually when a person coughs or sneezes.