The university's Health Services Associate Director Susan Hochman said the risk to the greater campus community remains low, as the monkeypox virus does not spread easily without close contact.
As of July 21, the Austin Public Health department has identified nine monkeypox cases in Travis County, with another 20 presumptive cases.
“Like other illnesses with similar modes of transmission, we provide public health education to the community,” Hochman said in an email to Community Impact Newspaper.
However, not all students feel the university has released enough information.
“I didn’t even find out about the first monkeypox case from the university; I found out through social media,” UT senior Sophie Gendron said.
Another student, sophomore Ben Truong, said he is not really sure what the university has done or plans to do to mitigate risk.
Both Gendron and Truong said they still feel safe on campus and have no qualms about going to class.
“The university has mitigation protocols in place for communicable disease,” Hochman said.
She added the university would be collaborating with key stakeholders on any environmental strategies needed to reduce the incidence or spread within the UT population.
According to APH, the disease is rare and not common in the U.S. The virus is spread by close contact with an infected person, or by touching clothing and linens that came into contact with an infected person.
More information can be found through www.austintexas.gov, and UT students can find information through university health services.
