Pens Bennett Diagnosed With Mumps, Children's Hospital Taking Precautions
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Another member of the Pittsburgh Penguins has been diagnosed with the mumps.
According to the Penguins test results show Beau Bennett has been diagnosed.
There is some concern with Bennett developing the mumps. Last week, Bennett and a number of other Penguins visited Children's Hospital.
21-year-old Kelsea Hogle was one of the patients who met with Bennett. In fact, he posed for a selfie with her.
"I only found out about the mumps through the news," said Hogle.
More from KDKA's Rich Walsh:
"I'm not too concerned because we weren't that close, but it's better to be safe than sorry. My doctors did test me for all the titers," said Hogle.
She's talking about a blood test that checks your antibody level to see if you're immune to the mumps. She did have a vaccination as a child and says her test results were good.
Children's Hospital released a statement to explain how it's handling concern over both patients and staff who may have come in contact with Bennett:
"For those patients and families who visited with Beau who had not received their age appropriate doses of mumps vaccine, we will be placing their children in isolation while they are still in the hospital and will be monitoring them for symptoms of mumps."
Players on at least five hockey teams now have mumps, including Sidney Crosby, who had a noticeably swollen face last week.
"When they first showed Sidney, the picture of him, and said it's not the mumps.. how could it not be the mumps?" asked Bernie Wolfe, a Penguins fan from Hopewell who was attending Monday night's game.
While he questioned how the team didn't realize Crosby had it earlier, others understand why it wasn't obvious.
"They have every reason to believe that they shouldn't have the mumps based on their vaccination histories," said Rebecca Keenan of Shaler.
Crosby did not play in Monday's game, but he's past the contagious stage and may return later this week.
Droplets from saliva or mucus spread the virus, and experts say the vaccination is 88 percent effective. However, it can also wear off over time.
Doctors says the mumps start off like any other virus, with a sore throat, and runny nose, but the real hallmark is when the glands in your neck swell up.
How Are Adults Getting The Mumps?
"Fortunately most of the population is protected if they received appropriate vaccinations," Allegheny General Hospital Dr. Marc Iskowitz says.
Many people got the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines as kids, and even boosters as adults.
"It usually occurs in outbreaks with really close contact, whether it's summer camps or athletic competitions, but for the average person, even if they're around somebody with mumps they're unlikely to get the transmissions," Dr. Iskowitz says.
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