Presumptive Monkeypox Case Found at UMD; Health Center Recommends…

College Well being Heart Director Dr. Spyridon Marinopoulos despatched the next e mail to the campus neighborhood at the moment:

I’m writing to inform you that we’ve got our first presumptive case of monkeypox (MPX) throughout the College of Maryland neighborhood. The employees member has taken all essential medical steps and is doing effectively. We have now already responded with applicable cleansing and disinfection measures, as guided by the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management, to assist guarantee the security of our college students, college and employees. We’re actively working with the Prince George’s County Well being Division who will take the lead on notifying anybody who must be knowledgeable.

As this illness continues to be current throughout the nation and the world, it’s seemingly we’ll expertise MPX circumstances on campus. We’re persevering with to observe the state of affairs in partnership with our native and state well being departments, and can talk with you if extra steering is required. Our College Well being Heart employees will probably be working with county well being officers to observe circumstances and coordinate focused communication and response.

One of the simplest ways to guard your self is to take preventive measures.
We all know that MPX spreads between individuals primarily via shut contact (e.g., direct bodily contact with the infectious rash, together with throughout intimate contact comparable to kissing, cuddling or intercourse). The danger of contracting this an infection is low for many who have been in informal, relatively than shut, contact with an contaminated particular person (e.g., being in the identical room).

Take the next steps to stop getting monkeypox:

• Keep away from shut, skin-to-skin contact with individuals who have a rash that appears like MPX. Don’t contact the rash or scabs of an individual with MPX. Don’t kiss, hug, cuddle or have intercourse with somebody with MPX.
• Keep away from contact with objects and supplies that an individual with MPX has used. Don’t share consuming utensils or cups with an individual with MPX. Don’t deal with, contact or share the bedding, towels or clothes of an individual with MPX.
• Wash your arms typically with cleaning soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, particularly earlier than consuming or touching your face and after you employ the toilet.

When you have signs of monkeypox:
Signs of MPX can embody fever, headache, muscle aches and backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and a rash that may appear like pimples or blisters that seem on the face, contained in the mouth, and on different components of the physique, just like the arms, ft, chest, genitals or anus.

When you develop signs in line with MPX, please contact the College Well being Heart at 301.314.8184 or your personal healthcare supplier to report the signs and search additional steering. When you search care via your personal healthcare supplier, please additionally name the UHC at 301.314.8184 to report your case. The UHC web site additionally has solutions to ceaselessly requested questions about MPX. When you have common questions on MPX, you could e mail healthconcerns@umd.edu.

We admire everybody’s heightened consciousness as we work collectively to stop the unfold of this rising sickness.

Sincerely,

Spyridon S. Marinopoulos, MD, MBA, FACP
Director, College Well being Heart
Chief Medical Officer, College of Maryland
He/Him/His