In 2022, multiple outbreaks of monkeypox have been reported in non-endemic countries worldwide, including the UK and multiple EU Member States. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for urgent action to reverse the spread of the disease in Europe.
Monkeypox is transmitted through close contact with respiratory secretions, skin lesions of an infected person or recently contaminated objects. Transmission between patients and healthcare workers is rare, but has been reported.1
People with monkeypox are infectious from the time symptoms start until skin lesions have fully healed – a period that typically lasts 2-4 weeks. However, poxviruses are known to have long-lasting stability in the environment, and materials from infected patients or fomites may remain infectious for months to years.2
Monkeypox virus is an enveloped virus, and therefore within the group of pathogens most sensitive to inactivation by disinfectants.3 The European Centre for Disease Prevention has recommended that healthcare workers follow standard environmental cleaning and disinfection procedures to prevent monkeypox transmission.2
As a high-level disinfection system, trophon* has been tested according to EN standards and has been demonstrated to inactivate enveloped and non-enveloped viruses, vegetative bacteria, fungi and mycobacteria.4-7 While trophon has not been directly tested against monkeypox virus, this pathogen falls into the category of enveloped viruses, the most susceptible category of pathogens to disinfectants. trophon has been demonstrated to be effective against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses as well as other organism groups showing even higher resistance to disinfectants.
*The trophon family includes the CE marked trophon EPR and trophon2 high level disinfection devices, which share the same core technology of sonically-activated hydrogen peroxide.
1. Petersen E, Kantele A, Koopmans M, Asogun D, Yinka-Ogunleye A, Ihekweazu C, et al. Human Monkeypox: Epidemiologic and Clinical Characteristics, Diagnosis, and Prevention. Infectious Disease Clinics. 2019.
2. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) Factsheet for health professionals on monkeypox. https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/all-topics-z/monkeypox/factsheet-health-professionals
3. CDC 2008. Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/pdf/guidelines/disinfection-guidelines-H.pdf.
4. Vickery K, et al. Evaluation of an automated high-level disinfection technology for ultrasound transducers. J Infect Public Health. 2014;7(2):153-60.
5. Becker B, et. al. Virucidal efficacy of a sonicated hydrogen peroxide system (trophon(®) EPR) following European and German test methods. GMS Hygiene and Infection Control. 2017;12:Doc02.
6. Ryndock E, et al. Susceptibility of HPV16 and 18 to high level disinfectants indicated for semi-critical ultrasound probes. J Med Virol. 2016;88(6):1076-80.
7. Nanosonics. trophon Microbial efficacy. Available at: https://www.nanosonics.co.uk/clinical/microbial-efficacy/
