Martensville Messenger March 9, 2017 | Page 3

FRIDGE NEWS

Provinces Prepare For Mumps Outbreak in Wake of Confirmed Cases in Manitoba Shanine Sealey , Martensville Messenger

Recently , there has been much talk about the possibility of a mumps outbreak within Saskatchewan , as there have been numerous reports of the virus in surrounding provinces .
Mumps is a viral disease that affects the parotid glands ( salivary glands around the jaw and cheeks ) and has an incubation period of approximately two weeks , after which you will begin to experience symptoms such as fever , headaches , muscle aches , lethargy , earache , dry mouth and the signature symptom of mumps , swollen cheeks and neck , often causing those affected to be compared to a chipmunk . Approximately 10 % of mumps cases can cause meningitis and in some cases mumps cause sterilization in men or brain swelling that can lead to paralysis , brain damage , seizures and death . It is an airborne virus that can be easily spread through means such as ; an infected person coughing or sneezing and releasing droplets of contaminated saliva into the air , or through sharing utensils , cups , cigarettes , etc ., with an infected person .
Hockey organizations have recently seen how easily the spread of the virus can occur , with numerous players within the NHL and WHL being infected . In fact , the Regina Pats have cancelled all fan interaction until further notice , as they do a thorough cleaning of all locker rooms and workout areas , and check into the player vaccination history . WHL teams from both Brandon and Medicine Hat have confirmed that players and staff have been infected by the mumps virus .
Currently , there are no reported cases of mumps within the province and only seven reported cases in Saskatchewan between 2010 and 2016 , however , Dr . Denise Werker , Saskatchewan ’ s Deputy Chief Medical Health Officer stated during a press conference that it is likely that we will see cases within the province , as mumps can spread rather easily . During the press conference , Werker also stated that the early symptoms of mumps are hard to diagnose , as they are similar to other illnesses , with fever , headache , low energy and muscle aches and that it is not until those infected begin seeing swelling of the parotid gland that they realize they have mumps . If you think that you may be affected by mumps , the province is asking that you call ahead before seeking treatment , so that proper precautions can be taken to avoid a spreading of the infection .
Those that have been affected by the disease in the past are generally immune to it , and the province is urging those that have not been vaccinated in the past to contact their doctor to have them look into your vaccination history , or have their doctor order a titre test , where blood is drawn and the lab can check to see what the patient is immune to or susceptible to . This test can help to uncover any missing vaccines or booster shots that one may require . A single dose of the vaccine was introduced within Saskatchewan in 1979 ; however , it wasn ’ t known until years later that people required two doses of the vaccine in order for it to be effective , and even then , the vaccine is approximately 85 per cent effective . Those born between the years of 1979 and 1990 may have only received one dose of the vaccination and those born before 1970 are likely to have had mumps in their childhood , and would therefore be considered immune to the virus . Werker explained that the risks of contracting the virus depend on
FRIDGE NEWS
A listing of upcoming events in and around Martensville To place your organization ’ s ad , contact the Martensville Messenger at advertising @ martensvillemessenger . ca
Thursday , March 9 , 2017 North Side RECYCLE Collection Day
Spring Program Guide Gets Delivered
Saturday , March 11 , 2017 Babysitting Course Paint Fun Workshop
Tuesday , March 14 , 2017 Committee of the Whole Meeting
Wednesday , March 15 , 2017 South Side WASTE Collection Day
Thursday , March 16 , 2017 North Side WASTE Collection Day
For more information on City events , visit www . martensville . ca

MARTENSVILLE PHARMACY 17 Centennial Drive North 306-931-2868

each individual ’ s immunity and that immunity is related to whether they have had one dose or two doses of the vaccine and how long ago they received that vaccine . Those travelling are recommended to ensure they have received both vaccinations .
There have been cases reported in Vancouver , Toronto , Alberta and recently , it was announced that there have been a total of 176 confirmed cases of mumps within Manitoba between September 1 , 2016 and February 24 , 2017 and the cases have been reported in every age group throughout the province . Manitoba health officials stated that typically , the province sees between four to eight cases of mumps within a year , so the increase has caused them to classify it as an outbreak . Other provinces are also bracing for the possibility of a mumps outbreak as numbers of those infected continue to grow .
martensville messenger - marCH 9 , 2017 - Page 3
Monday-Friday 9-8 Saturday 10-5 Sunday 12-5

Closed Holidays tumblers gymnastics Brings the Circus to martensville Ciara O ’ Reilly , Martensville Messenger

Tumblers Gymnastics are gearing up to put together their first ever event on March 31st . The event will be held at the North Ridge Centennial Community Centre with doors opening at 5:30p . m and the last activity beginning at 8:00 p . m . This event is all about the circus as the headline performer , Frederick Nicolas , comes straight from Cirque De Soliel and the Guinness Book of World Records . This event has plenty of activities and shows to appeal to the whole family .
Dinner will be served around 6:00 p . m . along with circus foods and treats . As dinner is being consumed the party goers can enjoy acts from roaming jugglers , magicians , clowns , and other artists . There will be four additional performances after dinner with a dance to follow , along with multiple carnival games for the kids to try out . All families and children over the age of three are welcome , and those under the age of three are permitted to attend free of charge . All of the proceeds from this event will be going towards KidSport .
KidSport is a children ’ s charity which assists children of families facing financial obstacles to participate in community sport programs so that all kids can play . “ We were trying to figure out a positive way to give back to the community ,” said Tumblers owner and Head Coach , Mark Kurmey . “ KidSport funds several kids in our program and we felt it was best to encourage the community to provide for them .” A silent auction and raffle will also be held at this event with some great prizes to be won . “ We would love to make this an annual event . It ' s a great way to give back to our community , we have set the bar pretty high ,” mentioned Kurmey . Make sure to reserve your tickets today at ( 306 ) 850- 4382 and for more information visit info @ tumblersgymnastics . ca .