Air and surface sampling for clade Ib monkeypox virus in United Kingdom hospitals, 2024 to 2025
Atkinson B., Gould S., Nicholls I., Manzoor KN., Smith J., Hindle AJ., Tunbridge AJ., Cole J., Collini P., Alonso A., O’Hara G., Tuudah C., Otter JA., Hack B., Taylor C., Pottage T., Fletcher T., Dunning J.
Air and surface sampling was performed in isolation rooms of seven patients with clade Ib mpox admitted to high consequence infectious disease centres in the United Kingdom. We detected monkeypox virus (MPXV) DNA in 66/90 surfaces samples and 1/14 air samples; replication competent MPXV was identified in 4/21 surface samples selected for viral isolation. These findings demonstrate that viable clade Ib MPXV contamination can occur during treatment of clade Ib mpox patients reinforcing the importance of infection prevention and control measures.