Announcement: CU Denver is Celebrating 50 Years
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Monkeypox
Learn more about Monkeypox and what CU Denver is doing to protect the community.
What is mpox (monkeypox)?
- Mpox is now the preferred term for the disease previously known as “monkeypox, mpv, mpx”.
- Monkeypox is a transmissible disease caused by the monkeypox virus. Symptoms include: fever, headache, chills, exhaustion and/or a rash (can look like pimples or blisters).
- CDC is tracking an outbreak of monkeypox in the United States.View the map of known cases is available here .
- The monkeypox virus is spreading mostly through close, intimate contact with someone who has monkeypox.
How is monkeypox spread?
Monkeypox can spread to anyone through close contact, including:
- Direct contact with monkeypox rash, scabs, or body fluids from a person with monkeypox.
- Intimate contact (oral, anal, and vaginal sex or touching the genitals of a person with monkeypox).
- Hugging, massage, and kissing.
- Touching objects, fabrics (clothing, bedding or towels), and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox.
- A pregnant person can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta.
- A person with monkeypox can spread it to others from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks.
What can I do to protect myself from 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.
- 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.
- CDC recommends vaccination for people who have been exposed to monkeypox and people who are at higher risk of being exposed to monkeypox.
- If you have any symptoms of monkeypox, talk to your healthcare provider, even if you don’t think you had contact with someone who has monkeypox.
What is CU Denver doing about monkeypox?
- While no monkeypox cases have been reported on campus, the Health Center at Auraria encourages all members of the campus community to be aware of safety concerns and resources available on campus.
- If there is a potential monkeypox case on campus, the Health Center at Auraria will take samples of 1-2 lesions of suspected monkeypox. The patient is then advised to isolate from others (avoid skin-to-skin contact); not share any linens, clothes or towels; and wash their hands frequently to reduce the chance of spreading it to others.
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