COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The University of Maryland reported its first presumptive case of monkeypox on Wednesday.
Dr. Spyridon Marinopoulos, Director at the University Health Center, said in a letter to community members that a staff member has a presumptive case of monkeypox.
“The staff member has taken all necessary medical steps and is doing well,” Dr. Marinopoulos said.
The university has taken steps to disinfect and clean, along with working alongside the Prince George’s County Health Department to notify anyone who may have been impacted.
“As this disease continues to be present across the country and the world, it is likely we will experience MPX cases on campus,” Dr. Marinopoulos said. “We are continuing to monitor the situation in partnership with our local and state health departments, and will communicate with you if additional guidance is required. Our University Health Center staff will be working with county health officials to monitor cases and coordinate targeted communication and response.”
According to health officials, the best way to take preventative measures from monkeypox is limiting close contact.
Monkeypox spreads between people primarily through close contact, for example direct physical contact with the infectious rash, including during intimate contact such as kissing, cuddling or sex). The risk of contracting this infection is low for those who have been in casual, rather than close, contact with an infected individual (e.g., being in the same room).
Take the following steps to prevent getting monkeypox:
- Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox. Do not touch the rash or scabs of a person with monkeypox. Do not kiss, hug, cuddle or have sex with someone with monkeypox.
- Avoid contact with objects and materials that a person with monkeypox has used. Do not share eating utensils or cups with a person with monkeypox. Do not handle, touch or share the bedding, towels or clothing of a person with monkeypox.
Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially before eating or touching your face and after you use the bathroom.
Symptoms of MPX can include fever, headache, muscle aches and backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and a rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appear on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals or anus.
