Tennessee universities prep for monkeypox outbreaks: 'With a young population ... we worry'

Students and staff at Tennessee's universities are starting to mentally move on after two years of the coronavirus college experience.

But colleges are already facing a new disease at the start of the semester: monkeypox.

Epidemiologists and health experts across the state are urging colleges to repeatedly communicate with students about the symptoms of monkeypox, how the virus spreads and how to protect themselves. The disease, related to smallpox, is spread through close contact and causes a rash and sometimes flu-like symptoms. The outbreak started to spread rapidly in July and August.

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"I think we need to be as prepared as we can for potential outbreaks on campuses," said Dr. Dawn Ford, an assistant professor and epidemiologist at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She served as the university's epidemiologist during the height of the coronavirus outbreak, and she's preparing for a potential monkeypox outbreak.

"First of all, to plan, plan for cases, because it's likely that we're going to have them," Ford said. "If you've looked at the data, cases have been doubling every couple of weeks."

Students are in close contact, which is how monkeypox virus spreads

College campuses create a unique challenge for navigating monkeypox, explained East Tennessee State University's infectious disease chief Dr. Jonathan Moorman.

"This is a disease that is contact-spread," Moorman said. "When you live really close to each other, and live in close proximity, with a young population that is more sexually active, we worry with a contact disease, at least right now. Colleges are a little more challenging. If somebody does get it, it's very difficult to isolate when people are living in dorms or apartments together."

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared the spread a public health emergency on Aug. 4, and as of Tuesday, more than 18,000 monkeypox cases have been reported in the United States. Anyone can get the disease, 95% of the cases in the United States right now are among men who have sex with men. Case numbers vary in surrounding states: Georgia has had more than 1,200 reported cases while Kentucky has less than 30.

More than 160 cases have been reported in Tennessee, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rare disease doesn't spread easily, and it's not as contagious as other viruses such as COVID-19. Even when it someone gets, they don't usually get seriously ill or have to be hospitalized. The vast majority of cases are spread by prolonged skin-to-skin contact, like hugging, close-contact sports or sex. Despite the low risk of getting the disease, the virus is popping up on college campuses. The University of Delaware, Texas State University and others have reported cases.

What colleges are doing to prepare for monkeypox

There haven't been any reported cases at any of Tennessee's public, four-year universities, but administrators have put out clear messages about how to prevent getting and spreading the virus.

And if there's one silver lining of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it's that colleges have a better idea of how to handle an outbreak.

"Since Austin Peay State University had protocols in place during the height of COVID-19, it should be relatively easy to implement isolation strategies to mitigate the spread of monkeypox," Jane Semler, a medical laboratory science program professor,  told Knox News in an email. "Strategies such as providing testing and delivering meals to infected individuals apply to both COVID-19 and monkeypox."

Austin Peay is monitoring cases in the region and is ready to implement emergency operations if needed, spokesperson Bill Persinger told Knox News in an email. At Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, health center staffs are ready to test for monkeypox as the need arises.

The University of Tennessee Southern student health clinic in Pulaski is educating those who can get vaccinated and encouraging anyone who thinks they've been exposed to seek care immediately.

The University of Memphis launched a monkeypox resources page on its student health center website.

"We understand that news of a new infectious disease on top of the last few years of the COVID-19 pandemic can be concerning and result in feelings of anxiety and uncertainty," the website reads. "Campus mental health resources are available through the Counseling Center and the Student Health Center. Faculty and staff may seek support through the Employee Assistance Program."

For the most part, universities are relying on local public health departments for guidance, which are receiving the Jynneos vaccine from the Tennessee Department of Health.

"I think at the top of my mind right now is just working really closely with our local public health people to see where we are at any given time with the disease," Moorman said. "We really need to know, 'How many cases do we have?' 'Is this becoming a huge problem?' 'Do we need to mobilize in a different way than the way we've mobilized so far?' 'Is the epidemiology changing?' That kind of thing."

And colleges should be ready to adapt if and when the situation changes, Ford said.

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"That's something we struggled with COVID-19 as a society, that sometimes we're not comfortable when new information becomes available and it changes the situation and actions we should take," Ford said. "But that's just a part of science, and it's probably going to happen with monkeypox. What we think today are the facts can change in weeks, and we just need to be prepared and be able to make adjustments as necessary."

In Knoxville, the Knox County Health Department is administering free vaccines to those identified as high risk.

"Currently, the group at highest risk of exposure to monkeypox includes gay and bisexual men," Kelsey Wilson of Knox County Health Department told Knox News. "Due to limited supply, those who are at highest risk for severe disease (i.e., immunosuppressed individuals) are being prioritized for vaccination in the initial stages of vaccine distribution."

To learn if you're eligible to receive a monkeypox vaccine in Knoxville, contact the Knox County Health Department public information line at 865-215-5555.

For more information about how monkeypox can spread in congregate living spaces, like college dorms, detention facilities, homeless shelters and more, visit www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox.

Knox News trending news reporter Devarrick Turner contributed to this story. 

Becca Wright: Higher education reporter at Knox News
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee universities prepare for monkeypox outbreaks