Washington School District alerts families to potential monkeypox case

Washington School District alerted students and families of a potential monkeypox case at Washington Park Primary School.

A student suspected of having monkeypox or another similar disease was at the school Monday, Superintendent George Lammay said in a letter to families.

“The school immediately sanitized all physical locations that the suspected infection child accessed before being removed from the school,” Lammay said in the letter.

Students who were identified as potential close contacts of the student who may have been infected with monkeypox received a separate notice with additional information.

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• 5 things to know about monkeypox

The district is awaiting test results from the infected student, which, Lammay said, could take as long as 14 days.

“Based upon information gathered from the testing facility, department of health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, the school district will continue to provide in-person instruction,” Lammay said.

Monkeypox spreads between people through direct contact with an infected rash, bodily fluids or respiratory secretions or prolonged face-to-face contact, although it does not spread easily from person to person, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

The virus usually is mild and often causes no symptoms, though symptoms can include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and general discomfort and exhaustion. Within days of the onset of the fever, patients can develop lesions and a rash.