With fall classes less than two weeks away, the University of Maryland said Wednesday that the campus community has its first presumptive case of monkeypox, also known as MPX.
The director of the University Health Center, Dr. Spyridon Marinopoulos, said in a note that the patient is a staffer who has taken “all necessary medical steps” and is doing well.
Cleaning and disinfection measures are also underway, said Marinopoulos, who is also the university’s chief medical officer. In addition, the health center is working with the Prince George’s County Health Department on contact tracing.
“As this disease continues to be present across the country and the world, it is likely we will experience MPX cases on campus,” Marinopoulos added.
Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches and backaches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and a rash that resembles pimples or blisters.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus that causes monkeypox is transmitted through close contact with an infected person, contact with respiratory secretions and contact with infected fabric (e.g., clothing, towels, bedsheets).
To avoid the virus, the CDC recommends avoiding close contact with people who have a rash that resembles monkeypox and avoiding objects that an infected person has used. It also recommends washing hands often and using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially before eating or before touching your face, and after using the bathroom.
Abigail Russ contributed to this report.
