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School Cancelled In Elliott Co. After Person Associated With School Tests Positive For Hep A

Posted at 3:27 PM, Sep 13, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-13 16:07:13-04

ELLIOTT COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18)-  School is canceled in Elliott County after someone in the school community tested positive for hepatitis A.

The school district sent a letter home to parents saying that the school will be closed for cleaning. The superintendent says that the person was not a food handler.

Here’s the letter in its entirety.:

The safety and well being of our students and staff is our top priority.  Any time there is a health or safety issue, we want to be sure that our families have accurate information directly from us as quickly as possible.

The Elliott County School District today received confirmation that a member of our school community has been diagnosed with Hepatitis A.  This individual is not involved with food handling.  We are working closely with the Elliott County Health Center/Gateway Health Department to take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of students, staff, and families.  As a result, school will not be in session on Friday, September 14 in order to allow our custodial staff to sanitize and thoroughly clean each of our schools. (Note:  Those with an up to date Hepatitis A vaccination are not considered at-risk for developing the infection from exposure; therefore, any student who is not currently in compliance with this vaccination requirement will not be allowed to attend school until documentation of compliance is provided to the school.  Please make sure that ALL vaccinations are current while taking care of the Hepatitis vaccine!)

Hepatitis A is not an airborne disease, but it can be contagious. It affects the liver, and can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, dark urine, and yellowing of the skin and eyes.  It usually spreads when a person unknowingly eats or drinks something contaminated by small amounts of stool from an infected person.

There are two very important ways to prevent infection from this and other contagious illnesses. Washing hands thoroughly and often is key.  Please stress this with your children.  Also, it is important that you and your children receive the two-dose vaccination for Hepatitis A.  Many children have already received this vaccination as part of their routine shots, but if your child has not received this vaccine, we encourage you to contact your family physician or the Elliott County Health Center at 738-5205. Anyone who has been in close proximity of the exposure has been contacted by the Elliott County Health Center and informed of necessary precautions.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to your medical provider or the Elliott County Health Center if you have any questions or concerns.

Debbie Stephens

Superintendent