Health and school leaders are notifying families about a case of monkeypox diagnosed in an “adult member” of the Boston Public School district community. Officials said the impacted school building was disinfected over the weekend. Statements sent to families and provided to NewsCenter 5 identified neither the school where the infected individual worked nor their job title. The district indicated, “If you did not receive an individual call or a specific school communication, your school community is not impacted.”Officials said the infected individual will isolate until it is safe for them to return to being in public. “There was one case identified in an adult at one of our schools and the contact tracing has been done. There’s been limited exposure and everyone who has needed to have resources and vaccinations are being contacted and that is being made available out of an abundance of caution,” Mayor Michelle Wu said Monday morning. “The health and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority,” the school district said in a statement. “We are following the guidance provided by local, state, and federal health officials and actively working with our partners at the Boston Public Health Commission. We remain deeply committed to transparency and are taking all necessary precautions.”While the virus does not spread easily between people, people can spread the infection once they develop symptoms. Transmission occurs through direct contact with body fluids and monkeypox sores, by touching items that have been contaminated with fluids or sores (clothing, bedding, etc.), or less commonly, through respiratory droplets following prolonged face-to-face contact.Early symptoms of monkeypox can include fever, headache, sore throat and swollen lymph nodes, but a rash may be the first symptom. Rash lesions start flat, become raised, fill with clear fluid (vesicles) and then become pustules (filled with pus). A person with monkeypox can have many lesions or they may only have a few.Anyone who believes they may have monkeypox should isolate, but if they need to leave their home, they should wear a mask and cover their rash or lesions when around others.Those who live with or care for someone who may have monkeypox should wear a mask and disposable gloves if they need to have any direct contact with lesions and when handling any clothes or bedding if the person cannot do it themselves. They should also wash their hands regularly, especially after contact with the person who is infected or with their clothes, bed sheets, towels and other items or surfaces they have touched. Full statement sent to BPS families:Dear BPS Families,The health and well-being of our students and staff is a top priority. With that in mind, we wanted to share an important update with you that the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) informed us that an adult member of our BPS community has been diagnosed with monkeypox.We have worked closely with the BPHC and the affected person to identify and notify exposed individuals. We have also worked closely with the impacted school community to share this information.If you did not receive an individual call or a specific school communication, your school community is not impacted. We are sharing this information in accordance with our commitment to transparency and educational awareness.In general, the risk of monkeypox transmission to the community remains very low.While this may be difficult to process, especially after the last several school years, we want you to know that we are here for you. We assure you that we are doing everything to ensure the health and safety of all of our schools.You can find more information about monkeypox on the City of Boston’s website.As recommended by the BPHC, the infected person will stay home (isolate) until it is safe to be around others. BPHC will offer vaccines to those who we have identified as exposed contacts. Exposed contacts may continue their normal activities as long as they do not have symptoms consistent with monkeypox.This weekend, we cleaned and disinfected the entire impacted school building as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).We will continue to keep you updated. Thank you for your continued partnership to make all our schools healthy, safe and welcoming places for all our students and staff.
Health and school leaders are notifying families about a case of monkeypox diagnosed in an “adult member” of the Boston Public School district community.
Officials said the impacted school building was disinfected over the weekend. Statements sent to families and provided to NewsCenter 5 identified neither the school where the infected individual worked nor their job title.
The district indicated, “If you did not receive an individual call or a specific school communication, your school community is not impacted.”
Officials said the infected individual will isolate until it is safe for them to return to being in public.
“There was one case identified in an adult at one of our schools and the contact tracing has been done. There’s been limited exposure and everyone who has needed to have resources and vaccinations are being contacted and that is being made available out of an abundance of caution,” Mayor Michelle Wu said Monday morning.
“The health and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority,” the school district said in a statement. “We are following the guidance provided by local, state, and federal health officials and actively working with our partners at the Boston Public Health Commission. We remain deeply committed to transparency and are taking all necessary precautions.”
While the virus does not spread easily between people, people can spread the infection once they develop symptoms. Transmission occurs through direct contact with body fluids and monkeypox sores, by touching items that have been contaminated with fluids or sores (clothing, bedding, etc.), or less commonly, through respiratory droplets following prolonged face-to-face contact.
Early symptoms of monkeypox can include fever, headache, sore throat and swollen lymph nodes, but a rash may be the first symptom. Rash lesions start flat, become raised, fill with clear fluid (vesicles) and then become pustules (filled with pus). A person with monkeypox can have many lesions or they may only have a few.
Anyone who believes they may have monkeypox should isolate, but if they need to leave their home, they should wear a mask and cover their rash or lesions when around others.
Those who live with or care for someone who may have monkeypox should wear a mask and disposable gloves if they need to have any direct contact with lesions and when handling any clothes or bedding if the person cannot do it themselves. They should also wash their hands regularly, especially after contact with the person who is infected or with their clothes, bed sheets, towels and other items or surfaces they have touched.
Full statement sent to BPS families:
Dear BPS Families,
The health and well-being of our students and staff is a top priority. With that in mind, we wanted to share an important update with you that the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) informed us that an adult member of our BPS community has been diagnosed with monkeypox.
We have worked closely with the BPHC and the affected person to identify and notify exposed individuals. We have also worked closely with the impacted school community to share this information.
If you did not receive an individual call or a specific school communication, your school community is not impacted. We are sharing this information in accordance with our commitment to transparency and educational awareness.
In general, the risk of monkeypox transmission to the community remains very low.
While this may be difficult to process, especially after the last several school years, we want you to know that we are here for you. We assure you that we are doing everything to ensure the health and safety of all of our schools.
You can find more information about monkeypox on the City of Boston’s website.
As recommended by the BPHC, the infected person will stay home (isolate) until it is safe to be around others. BPHC will offer vaccines to those who we have identified as exposed contacts. Exposed contacts may continue their normal activities as long as they do not have symptoms consistent with monkeypox.
This weekend, we cleaned and disinfected the entire impacted school building as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
We will continue to keep you updated. Thank you for your continued partnership to make all our schools healthy, safe and welcoming places for all our students and staff.
