PENDER, Neb. -- An ailment that struck an individual at Pender Public Schools last week has been confirmed to be mumps.
According to a letter the district sent to parents and posted on its Facebook page, the district was made aware of the positive mumps diagnosis on Tuesday. The letter does not specify whether the affected person was a student or a staff member.
The person was vaccinated, according to the letter, and left the building at the onset of symptoms; however, people can harbor mumps a few days while remaining asymptomatic.
"We are one P-12 building so we recommend that everyone in attendance assumes they have been exposed to the virus," wrote school Superintendent Jason Dolliver, Principal Eric Miller and Elementary Principal Kelly Ballinger, who signed the letter.
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"People who have been fully vaccinated are about nine times less likely to get mumps than unvaccinated people who have the same exposure to mumps virus, but they can still get and pass the virus. It is therefore vital for everyone to be vigilant and diligent moving forward."
Mumps has an incubation period ranging from 12 to 28 days. Most infected people will begin to show symptoms 16 to 18 days after exposure.
For a period of seven to 10 days, infected persons will experience symptoms including swollen glands, fever, headache, tiredness and loss of appetite. Some people experience no symptoms at all, while others may not suffer the characteristic swollen glands.
Parents of students experiencing these symptoms are advised to keep the child home for at least five days and until the symptoms have subsided, and to contact the school.
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