Health Care Personnel Exposure Risk Assessment and Management During a Mpox Outbreak in Chicago, Illinois, 17 May to 8 July 2022.

Zelencik, Shane; VanDine, Alison; Campos-Bovee, Maria; Goitia, Kimberly; Cela, Valbona; Walblay, Kelly; Galanto, Daniel; Pacilli, Massimo et al. · J Infect Dis · 2024

case_series · Level IV

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Abstract

This report summarizes risk assessment interviews and follow-up with health care personnel (HCP) after exposure to patients with mpox disease during 17 May to 8 July 2022. HCP-case interactions were assessed using a standard questionnaire to categorize the risk associated with patient encounters. We assessed 150 interactions among 142 HCP and 30 cases. Four (2.7%) interactions were defined as high risk, 5 (3.3%) intermediate, 107 (71.3%) low, and 31 (20.7%) no risk. High and intermediate exposures were offered postexposure prophylaxis; 4 accepted. No documented mpox transmission after exposure was identified. These findings suggest transmission risk in health care settings during routine patient care is low.

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