HILO >> Staff and teachers at a Hawaii island elementary school have been told not to come to school if they had been within 3 feet of a student who was diagnosed with mumps.

Naalehu Elementary School officials notified parents and staff Aug. 15, telling them to take extra precautions because the student had mumps in class, West Hawaii Today reported.

The infected student’s name was not released due to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act requirements, Principal Darlene Javar said.

An infected person can spread mumps by spreading saliva or mucous through coughing, sneezing or talking. Mumps also spreads through touching items or surfaces that have been touched by an infected person, such as sharing cups or utensils.

Since June 29, there have been a total of five confirmed cases of mumps reported on the Big Island. There have been 229 cases reported this year on Oahu, 22 on Kauai and one on Maui. The disease has been confirmed in children and adults, both vaccinated and unvaccinated. About half of the cases have been in adults aged 18 years and older.

People suspected or diagnosed with mumps should self-isolate and avoid going out and exposing others for nine days after onset of the swelling of the salivary glands, according to an update Thursday from the state Department of Health.

People who have been exposed to mumps and are not vaccinated should not attend school, work or travel from day 12 through day 25 after exposure.