Reviewed by Shipra Gupta, MD, MS, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore
Bottomline- MPXV shows high stability on nonporous surfaces at low temperatures, which emphasizes the importance of environmental controls, decontamination, and cautious disposal of nonporous materials as well as precautions during dressing changes.
This study found that the monkeypox virus (MPXV) can survive for up to 21 days on nonporous clinical surfaces like intravenous tubing and gloves—especially in cooler environments (4 °C)—posing a potential risk for fomite-based transmission in healthcare settings. In contrast, there was a rapid loss of infectivity in porous materials like cotton scrubs and gauze, particularly at room temperature. Though viable on gauze for only 1 day at room temperature, it persisted up to 10 days at 4°C, suggesting a risk of secondary spread during bandage changes. This study highlighted increased stability of MPXV at cooler temperatures on both porous and nonporous materials at lower temperatures, emphasizing the need for strict decontamination in healthcare areas with cooler temperatures.
Reference:
Banete, A., et al. Stability of Monkeypox Virus on Commonly Contacted Surfaces in Clinical Settings. OFID 2025. https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofaf225