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Confirmed case of mumps in Hartington area

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HARTINGTON — At least one area resident has been diagnosed with the mumps, local officials say.

Northeast Neb. Public Health said a person in their coverage region has been diagnosed with the disease.

Hartington-Newcastle School Supt. A.J. Johnson said that more than one local person has been diagonosed with mumps, and parents should take extra precautions.

According to Avera Medical Clinic doctor, Dr. Connie Micek, as of noon Wednesday, there were four confirmed cases of the mumps in Nebraska and one confirmed in S.D. 

The first exposure occurred Aug. 3 at a wedding in Yankton, S.D., State Health Department reports indicated. 

Supt.  Johnson, said at this time there have been no cases of mumps reported at the local public school. The school is being pro-active, though, he said.

“Precautions are being taken at school through classroom education and cleaning schedules, to help prevent this disease from occuring in our student body,” Johnson said. 

Supt. Johnson urged parents to help make sure this disease does not spread any further. 

“It is very important that (parents) help us in these precautions by not sending a student to school if they exhibit the signs and symptoms of the mumps,” he said. 

Dr. Micek said mumps usually exhibit the following symptoms: 

• Fever

• Headache

• Muscle aches

• Tiredness

• Loss of appetite

• Swollen glands

She said the incubation period for the mumps is 12-25 days. 

People born prior to 1957 are most likely immune naturally, said Dr. Connie Micek, because most of those people were likely exposed to the mumps as a child.

Most people in this area have received a vaccination for mumps, commonly known as an MMR. There is a 22 percent chance a person who received an MMR vaccination in those first few years can still get the disease, though. If a person received a second MMR shot, there is only a 12 percent chance they can contract the disease, she said.