Healthcare worker protection against mpox contamination: position paper of the French Society for Hospital Hygiene

Source avec lien : Journal of Hospital Infection, 140. 10.1016/j.jhin.2023.08.004

Dans le contexte de la récente réémergence du mpox dans le monde, la Société Française d’Hygiène Hospitalière (SF2H) a réalisé une revue de la littérature sur les voies de transmission et a proposé des recommandations spécifiques pour les professionnels de santé (PS) prenant en charge des patients atteints de MPXV suspectés ou confirmés.

In the context of the recent re-emergence of mpox worldwide, the French Society for Hospital Hygiene (SF2H) performed a literature review of the transmission paths and proposed specific recommendations for healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for patients with suspected or confirmed MPXV. In developed countries, the risk of contamination among HCWs in healthcare facilities seemed to be very low, limited to contamination through needle stick injuries. Two additional contamination cases were reported and not fully explained. Beyond healthcare settings, the analysis of the literature highlighted (i) a main contamination route during sexual intercourse, mainly among men who have sex with men, and (ii) a very low secondary attack rate in other contexts, such as schools or jails. Numerous studies have reported molecular or virus identification on surfaces or in the air surrounding patients, without any association with the low secondary case incidence; moreover, the minimum infectious dose through air or mucosal exposure is still unknown. Owing to the lack of evidence of MPXV respiratory transmission in the healthcare setting, the SF2H recommends the implementation of standard and contact precautions combined with medical/surgical mask use. Owing to the lack of evidence of transcutaneous contamination, the SF2H recommends the use of gloves only if contact with cutaneous lesions or mucous membranes occurs. Regarding the risk of contamination from the environment in healthcare facilities, additional studies must be conducted to investigate this.

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