In response to concerns over the monkeypox disease, the Calloway County Health Department hosted a town hall on campus Tuesday, Sept. 6 to answer questions about the disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, monkeypox is a rare disease caused by an infection with the monkeypox virus. Monkeypox is spread from skin-to-skin contact, touching objects or fabrics exposed to the virus or contact with respiratory secretions.

Jamie Hughes, public health director of the Calloway County Health Department, said his goal is to keep the community safe.

“We want to make sure that we prevent illnesses and disease, promote a healthy lifestyle and protect our community by ensuring a safe environment,” Hughes said.

At press time 34 cases of monkeypox are reported in Kentucky, according to the CDC.

Angela Thomas, nurse administrator at the Calloway County Health Department, said the majority of the reported cases in the state are in males.

Thomas said there are several symptoms to look for if exposed to the disease, including a rash and sores.

“People with monkeypox may also have other symptoms because it is a virus that shows systemic symptoms, like fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, muscle, back pain, headache and respiratory issues,” Thomas said. “Monkeypox can be spread from the time the symptoms start until all the sores have healed and a fresh layer of skin is formed, which will be two to four weeks.

The rash or sores can seem similar to pimples or blisters and can appear all over the body, including hands, face and chest.

Thomas said she encourages individuals with these symptoms to visit the health department to get tested.

To test for monkeypox, a healthcare professional will swap an individual’s lesion and send the sample off to the CDC to confirm the results.

Joe Crawford, director of nursing, said the current wait time for test results is two to three days.

Sally Lott, senior political science major, said she is concerned about a potential monkeypox outbreak on campus.

“The safeguards and infrastructure that were in place during the height of the COVID pandemic have fallen to the wayside because everyone has been so fatigued by COVID, and that presents a real threat,” Lott said. “I think that it’s worth acknowledging that there is a very dangerous association being made by some. Since this disease spread so far has primarily been within the queer community, men who have sex with men mostly, some are quick to assume and label monkeypox as a sexually transmitted disease and shrug it off as inconsequential because of the population it is affecting most right now.”

Hughes said the campus community should not be concerned about an outbreak happening on campus, but urges everyone to maintain caution.

“The University has people coming from all over the world, or at least in the country, and because of that, there’s a better chance for it to spread,” Hughes said.

Crawford said since there are no current cases in the county, there are no doses of the monkeypox vaccine at the health department.

In the event of a reported case in the county, the health department can request vaccine doses from satellite sites in the state that can be delivered in approximately three to four days.  

• Individuals wanting the monkeypox vaccine must fall into one of these categories:
• Having close contact with someone with known or suspected monkeypox 
• A diagnosis of HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, or early syphilis within the past year;
• Those on medication to prevent HIV infection
• Those exchanging sex for money or non-monetary items
• Those attending an event venue where there was a high risk of exposure to an individual with monkeypox  through skin-to-skin or sexual contact
• Men or transgender people who have sex with other men or transgender people
• Laboratory workers who routinely perform monkeypox or orthopox testing
• Health care professionals who’ve had a high risk occupational exposure without using recommended PPE in the last 14 days
• Individuals on a case-by case-basis who are determined at high risk for contracting monkeypox.

Lott said she is glad the University is spreading information on the virus to keep students in the know.

“I hope that in the event of campus-wide spread, they will be willing to take measures to protect students and staff the way they did during the height of COVID,” Lott said.

Lott said that while she is impressed with the University’s response to the virus, she wishes the government could do more on a national level.

“I think that as a whole, our government’s response has been an abject failure,” Lott said. “The failure to maintain the vaccine stockpile and adequately roll out those vaccines back in May when all of this started and cases were still low is embarrassing.”

To get more information on the monkeypox virus, call the Calloway County Health Department at 270-753-3381 or visit the Office of Multicultural Initiatives Youtube page for a video of the town hall event.