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. 2025 May;30(19):2500288.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.19.2500288.

Air and surface sampling for clade Ib monkeypox virus in United Kingdom hospitals, 2024 to 2025

Barry Atkinson  1   2 , Susan Gould  2   3   4 , Ian Nicholls  1 , Khanzadi Nazneen Manzoor  1 , Jack Smith  1 , Andrew J Hindle  5 , Anne J Tunbridge  5 , Joby Cole  5   6 , Paul Collini  5   6 , Alejandra Alonso  7 , Geraldine O'Hara  8 , Cecilia Tuudah  8 , Jonathan A Otter  8 , Berkin Hack  8 , Caroline Taylor  9 , Thomas Pottage  1 , Tom Fletcher  2   3   4 , Jake Dunning  10   2   9
Affiliations

Air and surface sampling for clade Ib monkeypox virus in United Kingdom hospitals, 2024 to 2025

Barry Atkinson et al. Euro Surveill. 2025 May.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: MPXV; Monkeypox virus; clade Ib; environmental sampling; infection prevention and control.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: JAO is a consultant to Gama Healthcare, Spectrum X, and Arka, and is co-founder of IPC Partners.

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