‘I’m sure we’ll see some outbreaks’: doctors warn about monkeypox spread on college campuses
By Caroline Reinwald
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MILWAUKEE (WISN) — As students prepare to return to college campuses statewide, the possibility of monkeypox spreading looms.
Marquette has a webpage dedicated to information on monkeypox.
In a statement, UWM said it’s, “closely monitoring the spread of Monkeypox in consultation with the Milwaukee Health Department,” and said the university “will ‘be developing appropriate protocols and communicating them to the UWM community.”
Dr. Ben Weston with Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin said universities must have an action plan.
“I think it’s important to have a response ready. If someone has it, are you going to be able to test? Are you going to be able to isolate? Are you going to be able to contact trace and work with the health department to do that,” Weston said.
Currently, experts say those most at risk are men who have sex with men and have multiple partners. However, add that will evolve and change.
“It is not specific to this group and if not controlled, it will definitely make its way to all different groups,” said Dr. Brandon Hill, Ph.D., with Vivent Health.
Weston said the question isn’t if Monkeypox will spread, but when and how.
“I’m hopeful we won’t see a huge outbreak in colleges, but I’m sure we’ll see some outbreaks here and there in dorm-type environments,” Weston said. “We know college students go out to bars, they go out to dance clubs, they go to raves and they have sex. Those sorts of things can spread this disease through that skin-to-skin contact.”
Marquette said its first-year students start moving in on Aug. 24, with the first day of classes on Aug. 29.
UWM said its move-in begins Aug. 29, with classes beginning Sept. 6.
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