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This Advisory reminds California healthcare providers of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations to reduce risk of MPX virus transmission to healthcare personnel (HCP) during collection of specimens from lesions for laboratory diagnosis of MPX.
The risk of MPX virus transmission from infected patients to HCP is very low; however, cases of occupationally-acquired MPX infection among HCP have been rarely described during the current outbreak. To date, CDPH has received reports of two California HCP who acquired MPX infection during specimen collection; among eight other cases reported worldwide, transmission was also associated with specimen collection, via: sharps injury (n=3); contact with body fluids (n=3); and contact with contaminated surfaces or items in the home of a patient with MPX (n=2). Additionally, a recent report found that HCP caring for patients with MPX had low adherence to use of the recommended personal protective equipment (PPE).
CDPH recommends HCP adhere to all CDC recommended infection prevention and control measures to reduce the risk of MPX virus transmission in healthcare settings, including recommended PPE and the following guidance for safe collection of MPX lesion specimens for diagnostic testing, as well as specimen collection print outs:
Guidelines for Collecting and Handling Specimens for Monkeypox Testing (www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/clinicians/prep-collection-specimens.html)
Infection Prevention and Control of Monkeypox in Healthcare Settings (www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/clinicians/infection-control-healthcare.html)
Sharps Safety for Healthcare Settings (www.cdc.gov/sharpssafety/index.html)
Bloodborne Infectious Diseases: Preventing Needlesticks (www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/bbp/sharps.html)
Joint ECDC-WHO Regional Office for Europe Monkeypox Surveillance Bulletin.9.21.2022 (monkeypoxreport.ecdc.europa.eu/)
Monkeypox Virus Transmission to Healthcare Worker through Needlestick Injury, Brazil. (wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/28/11/22-1323_article)
Healthcare Workers Occupational Infection by Monkeypox Virus in Brazil. Preprints 2022, 2022080544 (doi: 10.20944/preprints202208.0544.v1).
Health Care Personnel Exposures to Subsequently Laboratory-Confirmed Monkeypox Patients — Colorado, 2022. MMWR 71; 1216-19 (www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7138e2.htm?s_cid=mm7138e2_w)
CDPH Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) Program ● 850 Marina Bay Parkway, Richmond, CA 94804 (510) 412-6060 ● (510) 620-3989 FAX HAI website (www.cdph.ca.gov/hai)
To view a printable PDF of this communication and other LAHAN communications, please visit publichealth.lacounty.gov/lahan. If this message was forwarded to you, please join LAHAN here.
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