Person with monkeypox was in Cumberland Valley elementary school, superintendent says
A Cumberland County school district is alerting families about a confirmed case of monkeypox.
Cumberland Valley Superintendent David Christopher said in a message posted online that the individual was recently in Shaull Elementary.
Anyone believed to have been in close contact with the person has been contacted, Christopher said.
The custodial staff will clean and disinfect spaces and surfaces throughout the school. Christopher said the district is also in contact with the state health department and will take any recommended additional steps.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 780 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Pennsylvania.
Symptoms
The CDC said monkeypox symptoms can include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Backache
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Chills
- Exhaustion
A rash that looks like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth and on other parts of the body
The illness typically lasts two to four weeks.
How it spreads
The virus spreads from person to person:
- Through direct contact with the rash;
- By touching items that previously touched the rash; and
- During prolonged face-to-face or intimate physical contact.
Pregnant women can spread the virus to their fetuses through the placenta.
