Mumps case hits Pender
Launch the media gallery 1 playerATTENTION FANS who plan on attending the volleyball games in Pender tonight and over the weekend.
Last evening we received a statement from Pender Public Schools stating that they had a confirmed case of the mumps in their school. The individual in this confirmed case was immunized and left the building immediately last Friday when they became aware of the symptoms. The Pender school has continued to have school and the tournament is still scheduled to happen.
Those with questions are welcome to contact school personnel who will do the best they can to provide answers. That said, family healthcare providers will likely be able to provide the best information and answers to those who have questions.
The following is the e-mail the school received from Pender Public Schools:
This email is to inform you of the health concern we have experienced at Pender Public Schools the last week.
On Thursday (8/29), PPS learned that Thurston County, along with several others, was an “At Risk County” for the mumps virus that has been spreading through northeast Nebraska.
On Friday (8/30), a Pender student left the school with mump-like symptoms. It is important to note that the individual in this case was immunized and left the building immediately upon becoming aware of symptoms. While that was an important step to take, the individual was unknowingly contagious for a few days prior to the onset of the symptoms.
On Tuesday (9/3) of this week, the Pender school received confirmation that the individual had tested positive with the Mumps virus.
People who have been fully vaccinated are about nine times less likely to get mumps than unvaccinated people who have the same exposure to the mumps virus, but they can still get and pass the virus.
The Pender school district has sent multiple communications directly to students and through social media to patrons with each notification to educate them on what we are doing within the school to be proactive and to prevent the spread of the virus. We have been in contact with local physicians and have been told that the school should not be at risk of spreading anything until Sunday, 9/8, due to the incubation period of this virus.
While we tell students to assume they have been exposed to the virus, there is no way of telling for sure to what level they have been exposed and if they contracted the virus or not. We tell our patrons to use caution and to seek answers to medical questions from their trusted healthcare professionals as well. We cannot make any recommendations for you other than to give you the information that we have at this time. Please take some time to educate yourself on the “incubation period" of the virus as well as the signs and symptoms once the incubation period is over and the virus becomes contagious.
For more information see the attached documents from the Elkhorn Valley Public Health Department: