A West Chester University student has tested positive for monkeypox

WEST CHESTER, Pa. (WPVI) — A West Chester University student has tested positive for monkeypox.

The student has been identified as a traveler who lives outside of Chester County and does not live on campus.

Nancy Santos Gainer, the university’s vice president of communications, tells Action News that the student is currently isolated and doing well.

Gainer said as soon as the university found out, they began working with local health departments to see if anyone in Chester County had been exposed.

At this time, there have been no reports of close contact with the student, Gainer said. Additionally, there have been no other reports of monkeypox at the university.

Students told Action News they received an email from the university that a student taking summer courses had tested positive for monkeypox.

According to medical experts, the monkeypox virus usually begins with common viral symptoms such as headache, fever, aches and fatigue. But then this can increase and some may break out in rashes or smallpox marks, as they are known, all over the body.

It is usually spread through respiratory droplets, usually after prolonged contact, and other bodily fluids or other forms of close contact.

“We want people to know that this is about close intimate contact with someone with monkeypox. It doesn’t transfer easily,” Gainer explained.

It is not yet clear if the student came into contact with anyone outside of Chester County.

If that’s the case, Gainer said other county health departments will call anyone who is at risk.

At this time, it remains unknown where the student contracted monkeypox.

West Chester University released this statement to Action News:

“West Chester University health officials received confirmation this past weekend that a traveling student had tested positive for monkeypox. The student is currently isolated and doing well. According to the lead health department’s investigative efforts on the case, the university was told there were no close contacts in Chester County. There have been no other reports to the university, and according to the CDC and the PA Department of Health, the risk of contracting monkeypox remains extremely low.

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