National FFA Convention exhibitor had mumps virus, state health officials say

Andrew Clark | IndyStar

Show Caption Hide Caption What you need to know about the mumps Mumps, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is a contagious disease caused by a virus. Here's what you need to know about it.

An adult with a confirmed case of mumps exhibited at the National FFA Convention & Expo at the Indiana Convention Center last week, officials said.

The worker exhibited in the FFA Blue Room in the convention center on Oct. 30 and the morning of Oct. 31, the National FFA Organization said.

A spokeswoman for the Indiana State Department of Health said the risk of infection from this case is "very low," adding that close contact is required for mumps transmission.

However, out of an abundance of caution, the health department has encouraged providers to consider a diagnosis of mumps in anyone who has symptoms of the disease and reports attending the convention Oct. 30-31.

Healthcare providers in other states have also been notified, health officials said.

The state health department said it is unable to release information about where the infected person is from, citing privacy guidelines.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mumps is best known for causing puffy cheeks and tender, swollen jaw. This is caused by swollen salivary glands under the ears on one or both sides of the head, known as parotitis.

Fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite may also occur a few days before parotitis, the CDC says.

Symptoms typically appear 16-18 days after infection. However, some people who get mumps have very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, and may not know they have the disease, the CDC says.

Indiana usually experiences fewer than 10 confirmed cases of mumps every year, according to the state health department. Earlier this year, a mumps outbreak sickened at least 20 Indiana University Bloomington students.

The CDC says the mumps vaccine is the best way to protect children from getting mumps. The vaccine is usually given to children as part of a combo vaccine, called the MMR vaccine, that also protects against measles and rubella.

Since mumps is caused by a virus, it cannot be cured or treated with antibiotics, according to the state health department. Bed rest, a soft diet, and pain relievers for head and muscle aches are often recommended to alleviate symptoms.

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Call IndyStar reporter Andrew Clark at 317-444-6484 or email him at andrew.clark@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Clarky_Tweets.