District dealing with herpes outbreak

MILAN TWP. — Amid an ongoing herpes outbreak, area health officials want to formulate a plan to keep students safe with the affected local school district's leader. But they said they're not receiving any cooperation from him, continuing a repeated pattern of ignoring and/or downplaying serious public safety concerns. He countered, claiming the district is taking steps to keep everyone, especially students, safe. Meanwhile, a vast majority of parents and even students remain unaware of this situation, as the district hasn't formally notified everyone beyond a small bubble of wrestlers and their immediate family members. What's going on? On Tuesday, during a public meeting, the Erie County Health Department's board spent about 20 minutes specifically discussing what's being considered as a "potential outbreak of herpes gladiatorum, a skin infection caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)" at Edison High School involving its wrestling team. "HSV-1 often causes oral herpes, which can result in cold sores or fever blisters on or around the mouth," according to the CDC. "Most people with oral herpes do not have any symptoms. Most people with oral herpes get it during childhood or young adulthood from non-sexual contact with saliva." This version of herpes differs from HSV-2, which is genital herpes, a common sexually transmitted disease. On Dec. 17, the health department received an initial complaint from an unidentified individual. "The report raised concerns about a possible outbreak associated with the Edison High School wrestling team," according to a mid-December letter Taylor Kula, the health department's epidemiology director, sent to Edison Schools superintendent Corey Ream. "It was alleged that multiple wrestlers have either been formally diagnosed by a medical provider or are currently exhibiting symptoms and that some individuals may be continuing to participate in practices and competitions while actively infected," Kula wrote. "If accurate, this could pose a risk of transmissions to teammates, opponents and household contacts." On Dec. 15, Edison High School postponed a home wrestling meet scheduled for Dec. 18. The district made this announcement on its school athletics Facebook page without giving a reason. Health department officials attempted to figure out what, if any, measures had been taken by school administrators and wrestling coaches to prevent and/or stop the spread of HSV-1. "They canceled two meets, on (Dec.) 18 and (Dec.) 20, after they had gotten the letter," Kula said. "They were doing non-contact practices. They were supposedly cleaning out mats and prescribing the antivirals as well to kids who were diagnosed to lessen the amount of time that they would be potentially out (of action) and (lessen) the symptoms they were having." On Dec. 23, during the holiday break, an Edison wrestling coach provided a list of all suspected, probable and confirmed cases related to the outbreak to Kula via email. "He was instructed to update the list with new cases and resend until the outbreak can be officially closed," according to a timeline the health department compiled. "The initial returned list identified 13 cases," according to the timeline. "All cases were diagnosed by a physician, and most were treated with antivirals. The first case began on Nov. 24." Even though health department officials listed this HSV-1 spread as the lowest level of potential outbreaks, per state health department standards, those infected will still face life-changing consequences, Kula said. "Kids are going to have this herpes gladiatorum forever," Kula said. "We would like to emphasize the seriousness of this infection, particularly among children and adolescents. HSV is a lifelong virus, and affected individuals may experience recurrent outbreaks requiring antiviral treatment. Potential complications include keratitis, pneumonia and encephalitis." The 13 reported cases, meanwhile, are, in all likelihood, a very low estimate, county health commissioner Pete Schade said. Since the first case on Nov. 24, Edison High School on Dec. 6 did host a home invitational meet with students representing at least a dozen other districts in attendance. "Where else did these (infected Edison) kids travel to and wrestle?" Schade said. "It's 13 kids we know about. Or is it 140 kids? Is it more? Is it other schools? If there is a wrestler dating a girl, and they're kissing, that can be passed on." Erie County Health Department workers continue to try and figure out where this spread originated, occurred and has extended to, attempting to pin down how many potential cases there could be. In the meantime, it's keeping the state health department informed of this developing situation. Neither the state nor the county health departments can require any treatments or remedies. They can only make recommendations. The response It's not uncommon for health-related outbreaks to happen at schools, such as with influenza. It's not unheard of for even HSV-1 to develop at schools with sanctioned wrestling teams. What is out of the ordinary, according to health officials, is the response — or lack thereof — from the main point person tasked with formulating a plan, disseminating information and taking action to keep students safe in these types of situations. Throughout the past two-plus weeks, health department officials, namely Kula, made several attempts to contact Ream about this potential outbreak. She and her colleagues said Ream would often repeatedly fail to respond, by ignoring phone calls or not returning emails, on numerous occasions. When he did respond, his messages were short without providing much detail and came in days later, Schade and Kula said. Because of this, health department officials believe Ream isn't taking this matter seriously and, as of Friday morning — beyond postponing wrestling meets — aren't entirely sure what measures, be it proactive or reactive, the district has taken. It truly baffles health officials, who don't experience these sorts of communication breakdowns with other local superintendents. "This should be a wake-up call," Schade said. "You have to get serious with disease prevention." In the exchange between Edison Schools and the health department, Kula wrote a letter regarding information about the HSV-1 outbreak and ways to mitigate its spread. "The letter was sent, via email, to an Edison High School wrestling coach and superintendent," Kula wrote. "It is unknown if the letter was sent to parents." This past week, the Register individually contacted more than 15 parents with children in the district along with employees, and none said they were even aware of this outbreak. Other issues Issues between the district's leadership and the health department have stemmed for months. Most notably, this would include the following, as explained by Schade: • There was a lack of response for another outbreak occurring earlier this school year within Edison regarding hand, foot and mouth disease impacting children. • Ream put up roadblocks for health department nurses to perform state-mandated basic health and vision tests, Schade said, citing the communication breakdowns. These tests did get done, but much later than desired, pushing up against a required state reporting period. • And, throughout the fall, former school board member Stephen Berry — who lost his re-election bid in November — ran a public campaign to defund the health department. Ream reports to school board members. Because of all these complications, the health department is seriously considering not renewing its nursing contract with Edison Schools. This means it would remove its nursing presence from all district buildings — at the elementary, middle and high schools — before the 2026-27 school year begins. It would be an unprecedented move, Schade said, but one necessary if Ream and Edison Schools can't cooperate with his organization. The health department provides nurses at a competitive rate, about $54 an hour. Other agencies charge much higher rates, upward of $200 an hour. "The schools need the nurses for the health of all the pupils and especially for some of the higher-needs children," Schade said. "I shudder to think of a school district operating without a core of school nurses, specifically trained to be in the school environment." If this occurs, then students at Edison would lose: • Vaccination opportunities that are offered either free or at a low cost • The mobile health clinic, which offers dental care for free or at a reduced cost • The ability to offer sports physicals • Other primary care needs, especially those with high-functioning needs "Our nursing contract will be coming to a close at the end of the school year," Schade said. "Things are going to have to change for us to really want to go back out there and work with Edison Schools." If there's a silver lining, Schade said two people winning four-year seats in November on Edison's school board, Jacqui Rockwell and William Muthig, ran platforms to, in part, support the health department's programming. "The bright spot about the Edison Schools, at this point, is the new people they have coming on board," Schade said. "I think they've got some really great community- and kid-based people. I hope things can be repaired and done the right way for the sake of the kids." Ream responds to herpes outbreak On Friday afternoon, Ream, in an email, responded to a Register request for information on the herpes outbreak. The newspaper's request, sent Tuesday afternoon following the health department's meeting, was sent to Ream with other administrators and all five Edison school board members listed. The email was also forwarded to other local superintendents since their students often come into contact with Edison's. Those superintendents were seemingly unaware of this information prior to the Register's email. One day later, on Wednesday, Ream initiated contact with Schade to discuss the situation and the Register's email. Schade said it's rare for Ream to initiate a conversation on any public health matter. Ream's email contains detailed notes about how his district is handling the situation. While health department officials appreciate what he's doing, they're stumped as to why he didn't offer up this information beforehand — and after numerous requests — to them or other district stakeholders. Here's the vast majority of Ream's response: The safety of our students and staff is our top priority. We take all health concerns seriously and are committed to working collaboratively with local health officials to ensure the well-being of our entire school community. We value the Erie County Health Department's role in this shared responsibility and appreciate their collaboration with the district to help keep the students, staff and families of Edison Local Schools healthy and safe. The district and the health department have been in communication about this issue and are collaborating to address it. The Edison Local School District wrestling team is fortunate to have a veteran coaching staff that includes a coach who is also a sports-medicine physician. I am fully confident in their ability to keep our athletes as well as their competitors as safe as possible. Our team has implemented the following protocols and safety measures: • At no time have athletes with known symptoms been allowed to wrestle in practice or at competitions. • All wrestlers with symptoms were treated by the team's physician or referred to their family doctor for treatment. • The team implemented no-contact practice for seven days to ensure athletes were not passing anything from one to another. • The team voluntarily cancelled their matches on Dec. 18, 2025, and Dec. 20, 2025, to prevent any transmission between competing teams. The matches were cancelled for all athletes, even those who were asymptomatic. • The team has contained its practices to its dedicated wrestling facility and locker room. • The wrestling facility — including the locker room, wrestling mats, equipment and walls — is frequently and thoroughly cleaned with an appropriate disinfectant. This cleaning is often done personally by the team's physician. • All wrestlers undergo thorough skin checks before and after each practice. • Throughout the season, wrestlers receive ongoing education and frequent reminders about the importance of proper hygiene and skin care when participating in a close-contact sport. • Additionally, prior to any of our wrestlers participating in a match, they are checked by our coaches, the team's physician and, as is standard at all matches, the officials overseeing the competition. When contacted by the Erie County Health Department, the district responded promptly and in an open manner. This included a phone call with the team's physician to explain the protocols already implemented. In response, the Erie County Health Department offered a letter for distribution, and the district promptly shared it with the wrestling team the same day it was received. It doesn't appear that Ream informed all families and guardians of students, beyond just those who wrestle for the Chargers, about the outbreak. Regarding the future of nursing services, Ream said he's willing to work with the health department to continue this relationship. "If Mr. Schade or his staff feel as though there are unresolved issues, I look forward to meeting with him to discuss those concerns," Ream said. Schade and his team said they're always willing to meet and discuss matters benefiting the public. A repeated pattern This isn't the first time within the current school year that Ream and other Edison administrators didn't completely and/or fully notify school stakeholders, including students, about widespread public safety/health concerns. For instance, in September, an Edison Middle School student faced a weapons-related offense after allegedly bringing in a toy gun to school. At least one student believed the weapon was real, according to an Erie County sheriff's report. In separate incidents, the student allegedly threatened to kill multiple classmates. District officials only sent out a letter to parents — after the newspaper first brought this report to the attention of the administration — vaguely addressing some of these issues without going into any detail. This situation and an apparent lack of communication seemingly run parallel. Ream seemingly and only went into detail about the herpes outbreak after receiving a request from the Register. And, just like with the gun incident, Edison employees, families and students — as a whole — are seemingly the last to know. Those employed with Edison stated this cyclical pattern is inappropriate. Many said they should not find out about important matters affecting all district stakeholders secondhand and not directly from district administrators. "The health and safety of students in the Edison district should always be the first priority when addressing any concern," said Bridget Harrington, an elementary school kindergarten teacher who serves as co-chair of the Edison Teachers Association union. "Following the direction of our local health department and other medical professionals would be the most prudent thing to do for our students and the Edison community." What is HSV-1? HSV-1, commonly known as oral herpes, is a common infection around the mouth that is caused by simplex virus type 1, or HSV-1, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. It is spread through direct, physical contact from person to person. Symptoms of the disease, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, include those similar to the flu like swollen lymph nodes and headaches. During the first infection, sores can appear around the lips and mouth. Other symptoms include: • Initial redness, swelling, heat/pain or itching. • Painful, fluid-filled blisters; The blisters and fluid are highly contagious. Blisters will leak and become sores. • Sores, which, after about a week, should crust over and heal. Some people with the disease will never display symptoms, but others could have occasional outbreaks. This is an incurable disease. Once someone contracts it, this person will have herpes for the rest of their lives — but it is treatable. The best way to treat oral herpes is with antiviral medication, like antiviral ointment, over-the-counter topical anesthetics and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory agents. The disease can be mistaken for other infections, so blood tests or biopsies are the only ways to confirm a diagnosis, but health care providers can typically diagnose based on blister location. Treatment for the disease includes: • Cleaning and drying the infected area • Taking antiviral oral medication, antiviral topical ointments and over-the-counter topical anesthetics or anti-inflammatory agents Source: Johns Hopkins University