West Chester University Student Tests Positive For Monkeypox

WEST CHESTER, PA —A West Chester University student has tested positive for the Monkeypox virus, a new virus that has been spreading throughout the country.

The student, who was not identified, is one of 29 individuals in Pennsylvania that have contracted the disease as of Wednesday.

West Chester University health officials received confirmation this past weekend that a commuter student has tested positive for monkeypox, according to a statement provided by Nancy Gainer, university spokeswoman.

The student is currently isolating and doing well, Gainer said.

According to the investigative efforts of the lead health department on the case, the university has been told that there are no close contacts in Chester County.

There have been no other reports to the university and the risk of contracting monkeypox remains extremely low, according to the CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Health.

The total confirmed cases to date in the United States is 929, according to the CDC tally. The highest state total is 150 cases in California, according to the data.

Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, aches and pains, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes and a rash that lasts two to four weeks.

Quest provides monkeypox testing

In response to the monkeypox outbreak, Quest Diagnostics is ramping up its availability of testing for the virus. Physicians can begin ordering tests today. Quest Diagnostics has medical laboratories throughout Pennsylvania.

The company plans to perform 30,000 tests a week by the end of July, according to Kimberly Gorode, Quest spokeswoman.

Monkeypox is a rare disease that is in the same family of the variola virus, which causes smallpox.

Depending on the demand, Quest can expand the capacity for testing across the nation.

The test was developed by Quest’s research and development team and is being performed at the company's advanced laboratory in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

Origin of monkeypox

Monkeypox was discovered in 1958 when a pox-like disease occurred in a colony of monkeys.

The disease has been initially reported among humans in 1970 in central and western Africa. The outbreak began here this year.

The initial outbreak in May 2022 began in the United Kingdom and spread to 20 countries in Europe, North American, South America, Asia and Africa.

The CDC said many of those initially affected in the current outbreak are gay and bisexual men.

However, the CDC, has concluded that anyone who has been in contact with someone who had monkeypox can get the illness.

The disease spreads through direct contact with the legions and body fluids.

More information about monkeypox is available here.