Seven people have the mumps at the Harris County Jail. The Houston Health Department says this includes six inmates and a staff member. The first symptoms appeared in May.
"As with any infectious disease investigation, we are looking at the individual cases to identify possible contacts to ensure sure proper action is taken as needed to prevent this disease from spreading further," said Dr. David Persse, Houston's local health authority and EMS medical director. "We currently do not have reason to believe this outbreak has spread outside of the jail."
The Houston Health Department visited the jail this week to further coordinate response efforts, including the vaccination of jail staff and inmates, and isolation and quarantine guidelines.
"Given the inherent nature of a facility like a jail, with lots of people in a relatively small space, it's not uncommon to see infectious diseases spread in this manner," Dr. Persse continued. "The Harris County Sheriff's Office acted quickly and appropriately when it became apparent there was a problem."
Symptoms of the virus include muscle aches, fever, headache, loss of appetite and swollen glands under the ears or jaw.