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

Barry Atkinson; Susan Gould; Ian Nicholls; Khanzadi Nazneen Manzoor; Jack Smith; Andrew J. Hindle; Anne J. Tunbridge; Joby Cole; Paul Collini; Alejandra Alonso; Geraldine O'Hara; Cecilia Tuudah; Jonathan A. Otter; Berkin Hack; Caroline Taylor; Thomas Pottage; Tom Fletcher; Jake Dunning

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
, Susan Gould
, Ian Nicholls
, Khanzadi Nazneen Manzoor
, Jack Smith
, Andrew J. Hindle
, Anne J. Tunbridge
, Joby Cole
, Paul Collini
, Alejandra Alonso
, Geraldine O'Hara
, Cecilia Tuudah
, Jonathan A. Otter
, Berkin Hack
, Caroline Taylor
, Thomas Pottage
, Tom Fletcher
, Jake Dunning

NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections
UK Health Security Agency
Tropical and Infectious Diseases Unit
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
University of Sheffield
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
University of Oxford

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

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.

Original language	English
Journal	Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin
Volume	30
Issue number	19
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.19.2500288
Publication status	Published - 15 May 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

clade Ib
environmental sampling
infection prevention and control
Monkeypox virus
MPXV

Access to Document

10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.19.2500288Licence: CC BY

eurosurv-30-19-1 (1)Final published version, 158 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Atkinson, B., Gould, S., Nicholls, I., Manzoor, K. N., Smith, J., Hindle, A. J., Tunbridge, A. J., Cole, J., Collini, P., Alonso, A., O'Hara, G., Tuudah, C., Otter, J. A., Hack, B., Taylor, C., Pottage, T., Fletcher, T., & Dunning, J. (2025). Air and surface sampling for clade Ib monkeypox virus in United Kingdom hospitals, 2024 to 2025. Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin, 30(19). https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.19.2500288

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

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.",

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author = "Barry Atkinson and Susan Gould and Ian Nicholls and Manzoor, \{Khanzadi Nazneen\} and Jack Smith and Hindle, \{Andrew J.\} and Tunbridge, \{Anne J.\} and Joby Cole and Paul Collini and Alejandra Alonso and Geraldine O'Hara and Cecilia Tuudah and Otter, \{Jonathan A.\} and Berkin Hack and Caroline Taylor and Thomas Pottage and Tom Fletcher and Jake Dunning",

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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 2025, 'Air and surface sampling for clade Ib monkeypox virus in United Kingdom hospitals, 2024 to 2025', Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin, vol. 30, no. 19. https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.19.2500288

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T1 - Air and surface sampling for clade Ib monkeypox virus in United Kingdom hospitals, 2024 to 2025

AU - Atkinson, Barry

AU - Gould, Susan

AU - Nicholls, Ian

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AU - Smith, Jack

AU - Hindle, Andrew J.

AU - Tunbridge, Anne J.

AU - Cole, Joby

AU - Collini, Paul

AU - Alonso, Alejandra

AU - O'Hara, Geraldine

AU - Tuudah, Cecilia

AU - Otter, Jonathan A.

AU - Hack, Berkin

AU - Taylor, Caroline

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AU - Fletcher, Tom

AU - Dunning, Jake

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KW - clade Ib

KW - environmental sampling

KW - infection prevention and control

KW - Monkeypox virus

KW - MPXV

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