Three cases of mumps diagnosed at Andress High School

Three people at Andress High School are being treated for a highly contagious virus.

The El Paso Independent School District confirmed to ABC-7 on Wednesday that the people had contracted the mumps. The district spokesman said he cannot say on the record if the people who were diagnosed were all students.

Mumps is an infection caused by a virus that’s easily spread through saliva and mucus, and mostly affects the glands below the ears, leading to puffy cheeks and a swollen jaw. According to medical experts, it usually affects kids who haven’t been immunized.

EPISD told ABC-7 that it is working with the City of El Paso’s Department of Public Health, and that students received a letter from the health department to take home to their parents on Tuesday informing them of the infection.

Mumps can be prevented with the Mumps, Measles and Rubella (MMR) vaccine, which has been available since 1967. But because it is viral, it cannot be treated with medication and must be allowed to run its course, according to medical experts.