Reminder
Test for HIV and other STIs when testing for mpox, offer mpox vaccinations to all HIV positive individuals, and HIV PrEP when testing for mpox.
FAQ
Mpox (Monkeypox) is transmitted by direct contact with the rash, sores, or body fluids of a person with the disease, especially with mucous membranes. Less commonly, it may be spread by contact with objects (clothes, sheets, towels) that have been in contact with the rash or fluids for an extended period and haven’t been cleaned. Sex is one of the ways that mpox can be spread, in part because of the close contact that occurs during sex. Researchers are still studying if mpox can be spread through semen or other body fluids. In the current mpox outbreak, the virus is spreading primarily through close personal contact, especially between sexual partners. However, any sustained skin-on-skin contact with someone who has mpox can spread the virus. The contact does not have to be exclusively intimate or sexual.
Yes. Contact with oral lesions or oral contact with anogenital lesions from a person with mpox can put patient at risk of acquiring mpox. Researchers are still studying if contact with oral secretions or oral contact with other fluids without sores present could also transmit the virus.
Condoms may reduce client’s risk of mpox through preventing contact with lesions on or inside the penis, vagina, rectum, or mouth. However, because mpox can cause rashes and sores on other parts of the body as well, it is best to abstain from any sexual or close contact with a person with mpox or to use other options to reduce risk of mpox during sex.
- Client resource to reduce risk of mpox during sex.
For assistance to confidentially or anonymously inform partner(s) of mpox diagnosis, please call (408) 792-3720 to talk to an mpox investigator.
STIs and HIV infection have been reported to be highly prevalent among current global mpox outbreak. It is important to consider routine screening for HIV and STIs and other preventative care for all persons being evaluated for mpox.
In the U.S, it has been reported that HIV or recent STIs are common among persons with mpox. Therefore, HIV PrEP should be considered and offered to all eligible persons seeking a mpox evaluation.
1. Isolate the individual:
- Patients presenting with suspected mpox should be placed promptly in a single-person exam room with the door closed. The patient should remain masked and any exposed skin lesions should be covered with a sheet or gown.
- Healthcare workers evaluating patients with suspected mpox should wear the following: gloves, gown, eye protection (goggles or face shield), and a N95 or equivalent or higher-level respirator. PPE should be donned before entering patient’s room. Remove gloves, gown, and eye protection and perform hand hygiene prior to leaving the room. Remove and discard the N95 after leaving the room and closing the door. Replace with a mask.
2. Test:
- If you suspect mpox, consider consultation with your organization’s infectious disease specialist or infection control practitioner to determine whether mpox testing is warranted. Consider testing for all STIs when testing for mpox.
- The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department is available for clinical consultation for providers seeking additional guidance on testing of individual cases. [email protected] or (408) 885-4214, Option 3.
- Use of commercial laboratories may allow faster turnaround time and streamlined laboratory and resulting for providers. Refer to your usual laboratory point of contact for specimen collection instructions.
- For the County of Santa Clara Public Health Laboratory, specimen collection instructions are as follows: 1) vigorously swab or brush lesion with two separate sterile dry polyester or Dacron swabs; 2) place both swabs into a single 15 ml dry sterile tube. We recommend swabbing two to three lesions from different anatomic locations to increase yield. Do not add or store in viral or universal transport media. Do not use sharps to unroof blisters or scabs, because of the risk of sharps injury and transmission.
- All specimens being sent to the Santa Clara Public Health Laboratory must be accompanied by a Mpox Laboratory Specimen submission form.
- For samples being sent to County of Santa Clara Public Health Laboratory, the Suspect Case Report Form is NO LONGER REQUIRED.
- For suspect patients: Reporting is no longer required, but providers may contact Public Health if concern for widespread exposure exists, or other assistance is needed. Cases identified after hours may be reported on the next business day.
- For confirmed positive cases: Call Public Health within one business day via phone (408) 885-4214, Option 3. Cases identified after hours may be reported on the next business day.
- Limited support is available through Public Health for people with mpox who are experiencing homelessness or others who may not be able to safely isolate at home. For people who need emergency housing support over the weekend, contact the Office of Supportive Housing by calling (408) 278-6420 (available Saturday/Sunday 9 AM – 6 PM).
3. Evaluate for Treatment Indications:
- Antivirals developed for use in patients with smallpox may prove beneficial against mpox. Tecovirimat (TPOXX, ST-246) is currently available in Santa Clara County for the treatment of mpox at specific hospital sites which have applied for approval for its use under an investigational drug protocol.
- Not all infected patients are eligible for Tpoxx treatment. Tpoxx should be considered for individuals with one or more of the following:
- Severe disease
- High risk of severe disease
- Lesions in anatomical areas at special risk of scarring or stricture
For detailed guidance on eligibility, see the FAQ below: Are my patients eligible for mpox treatment with Tpoxx?
4. Household Isolation Guidance
- If discharged home, patients should be provided with Home Isolation Guidance and be instructed to remain isolated until test results return.
5. Notification of test results
- Upon receipt of positive laboratory results, contact the patient immediately and confirm continued compliance with isolation instructions.
- Inform the patient that County of Santa Clara Public Health Department will contact them for additional follow-up.
6. Reporting confirmed cases
- Report all confirmed mpox cases to the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department within one business day by phone by calling (408) 885-4214 during regular business hours. Cases identified after hours may be reported on the next business day.
- Testing may be available through one of the five commercial laboratory companies recently approved by the federal government: Aegis Science, Labcorp, Mayo Clinic Laboratories, Quest Diagnostics and Sonic Healthcare. Use of commercial laboratories may allow faster turnaround time and streamlined laboratory and resulting for providers.
- Testing is also available through some local hospitals and academic centers that offer a laboratory developed test.
- For the County of Santa Clara Public Health Laboratory, specimen collection instructions are as follows: 1) vigorously swab or brush lesion with two separate sterile dry polyester or Dacron swabs; 2) place both swabs into a single 15 ml dry sterile tube. We recommend swabbing two to three lesions from different anatomic locations to increase yield. Do not add or store in viral or universal transport media.
- All specimens being sent to the Santa Clara Public Health Laboratory must be accompanied by a Mpox Laboratory Specimen submission form.
- For samples being sent to County of Santa Clara Public Health Laboratory, the Suspect Case Report Form is NO LONGER REQUIRED.
- For suspect patients: Reporting is no longer required, but providers may contact Public Health if concern for widespread exposure exists or other assistance is needed. Cases identified after hours may be reported on the next business day.
- For confirmed positive cases: Call Public Health within one business day via phone (408) 885-4214. Cases identified after hours may be reported on the next business day.
- Limited support is available through Public Health for people with mpox who are experiencing homelessness or others who may not be able to safely isolate at home. For people who need emergency housing support over the weekend, contact the Office of Supportive Housing by calling (408)-278-6420 (available Saturday/Sunday 9 AM – 6 PM).
On September 15, 2022, CDC updated their guidance, based upon data from published literature and recently released data from the FDA, which suggest that broad use of the antiviral drug, tecovirimat (Tpoxx), could promote resistance and render antiviral drugs ineffective for some patients both for mpox and in the future should the drug ever be needed for smallpox treatment.
For most individuals with a healthy immune system, supportive care and pain control may be sufficient treatment without Tpoxx. Individuals meeting CDC clinical criteria as described below may be initiated on Tpoxx treatment.
Tpoxx should be considered for individuals who have the following clinical manifestations:
- Severe disease — consider severe disease when a patient has conditions such as hemorrhagic disease; large number of lesions such that they are confluent; sepsis; encephalitis; ocular or periorbital infections; or other conditions requiring hospitalization
- Involvement of anatomic areas which might result in serious sequelae that include scarring or strictures — these include lesions directly involving the pharynx causing dysphagia, inability to control secretions, or need for parenteral feeding; penile foreskin, vulva, vagina, urethra, or rectum with the potential for causing strictures or requiring catheterization; anal lesions interfering with bowel movements (for example, severe pain); and severe infections (including secondary bacterial skin infections), especially those that require surgical intervention such as debridement.
Tpoxx should also be considered for use in people who are at high risk for severe disease:
- People currently experiencing severe immunocompromise due to conditions such as advanced or poorly controlled human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), leukemia, lymphoma, generalized malignancy, solid organ transplantation, therapy with alkylating agents, antimetabolites, radiation, tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, or high-dose corticosteroids, being a recipient of a hematopoietic stem cell transplant <24 months post-transplant or ≥24 months but with graft-versus-host disease or disease relapse, or having autoimmune disease with immunodeficiency as a clinical component
- Pediatric populations, particularly patients younger than 8 years of age
- Pregnant or breastfeeding people
- People with a condition affecting skin integrity — conditions such as atopic dermatitis, eczema, burns, impetigo, varicella zoster virus infection, herpes simplex virus infection, severe acne, severe diaper dermatitis with extensive areas of denuded skin, psoriasis, or Darier disease (keratosis follicularis)
In light of the news of potential Tpoxx resistance, it is important that all patients are counseled to take Tpoxx as directed. Tpoxx should be taken within 30 minutes after a full meal containing moderate or high fat to optimize absorption and lower the potential risk of resistance.
More information can be found on CDC’s Interim Clinical Guidance for the Treatment of Mpox page.
As of 11/2/2022, the CDC is encouraging enrollment for TPOXX-eligible patients in an NIAID-funded study to evaluate the effectiveness and side effects of tecovirimat. Please find more information https://www.stomptpoxx.org/stompsites. However, providers should not delay appropriate prescribing and treatment if patients may have difficulty reaching the nearest study site, which is Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.
Currently, Tpoxx is available at Stanford, Kaiser San Jose, Kaiser Santa Clara, and the Santa Clara Valley County Health System. Providers working within these systems should refer to their health system leadership for instructions. For providers external to these health systems or referring patients outside their system, please refer as follows:
- Patients empaneled with a County Health System provider and uninsured patients not empaneled at Kaiser or Stanford may be referred to Valley Medical Center for Tpoxx by calling Valley Connections at (800) 334-1000.
- Insured patients who are not already empaneled at Kaiser or the County Health System may be referred to Stanford Health System by submitting an urgent referral for mpox through their Referral Center website.
- Kaiser Permanente (KP) San Jose and Santa Clara are providing Tpoxx treatment to eligible KP members. KP members in need of mpox care may be instructed to contact their KP care team via kp.org or the KP advice and appointment call center.
If you are a provider interested in obtaining Tpoxx treatment for provider dispensing of the medication at your office or if your patient does not fall in the above categories, please email [email protected].
CDC allows healthcare providers to provide Tpoxx treatment to patients with mpox under their Expanded Access IND protocol. The process has been streamlined to reduce the number of required forms and give patients the options to virtually see their doctors.
Additionally, care facilities and/or providers may prescribe and dispense to patients, even if they do not have an in-house pharmacy or emergency department, if all of the following conditions are met:
- Provider administers or dispenses Tpoxx to patient under their own care in accordance with the EA-IND protocol
- Provider administers or dispenses Tpoxx with appropriate labeling (BPC § 4076) to the patient directly (i.e., MA and nurses may not hand patient the medication on behalf of the provider)
- All Santa Clara County reporting requirements and CDC reporting requirements are followed. Required forms are indicated in the table below:
| Required by | Form | Frequency | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| CDC | FDA Form 1572 | Once |
|
| CDC | Patient Consent Form | Every patient |
|
| CDC | Patient Intake Form: Baseline assessment. Access the electronic form through the Tecovirimat IND Online Registry. | Every patient |
|
| CDC | MedWatch Form (serious adverse events) | Within 72 hours of awareness |
|
| Santa Clara County | Qualtrics Report | Weekly |
|
*In general, all reporting requirements must be submitted within 7 days of treatment initiation
If you meet the conditions above and can safely store and handle the medication at your clinic, reach out to [email protected] to express interest and get the process started!
All requests for Tpoxx need to be submitted to [email protected] using a local order form. Once the request is approved, you will receive an email from our redistribution team with pick-up instructions. Delivery of the medication is not offered at this time.
For a copy of the order form, please email [email protected].
Per updated CDPH guidance 4/22/24, vaccine providers may now offer mpox vaccine to
- any patients who MAY be at risk, and to
- anyone who requests vaccination.
Given current adequate supply, there are no longer “eligibility” criteria; persons who request vaccination no longer have to attest to specific risk factors in order to get vaccinated.
Vaccination efforts should be prioritized for:
- Anyone living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), especially those with a CD4 count <350, an unsuppressed HIV viral load, or an opportunistic infection
- Any man or trans person who has sex with men or trans persons
- People who use or are eligible for HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
- Sex workers, people who have survival sex or exchange sex, and people who have had sex at a commercial sex venue or public event
- People who have had direct skin-to-skin contact with one or more people AND who know others in their community who have had mpox infection
- People who have been diagnosed with a bacterial sexually transmitted infection (e.g., chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis) in the past 12 months
- Sexual partners of the above groups
- People who anticipate experiencing the above risks, including individuals with multiple sex partners
- Anyone who needs post-exposure prophylaxis due to exposure to mpox
In addition, vaccinations should continue for:
- Occupational groups recommended for vaccination by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
- Healthcare workers who are who are likely to collect laboratory specimens from patients with mpox (e.g., persons working in sexual health clinics or clinical settings that serve at-risk populations)
The FDA has issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to allow vaccination of appropriate pediatric populations with Jynneos for prevention of mpox infection before or after exposure. Pediatric vaccination must be performed subcutaneously (not intradermally). All County sites are able to serve pediatric patients who otherwise meet the above criteria for mpox vaccination.
California law allows minors who are 12 years of age or older to consent to medical care related to the prevention of a sexually transmitted disease. (Fam. Code, § 6926, subd. (b).) While it is also spreading non-sexually, the County of Santa Clara Health Officer has determined that mpox is a sexually transmitted disease based on a number of considerations, including, but not limited to the following: (1) the vast majority of mpox transmission has occurred through sexual contact; (2) some mpox cases have reported that their only known exposure to mpox was through sexual contact with an asymptomatic mpox case; and (3) assessment for mpox vaccine eligibility includes assessing exposure risk through sexual contact. This means that minors 12 and older can consent to receiving the vaccine themselves and health care providers can’t inform a parent or legal guardian without the minor’s consent.
Please Note: Due to state vaccine reporting requirements, parents or legal guardians may be able to view/obtain vaccine records, including a record of the mpox vaccination.
- Jynneos vaccination for mpox PrEP is recommended for laboratory workers processing mpox specimens, as well as healthcare workers who are likely to collect laboratory specimens from persons with mpox (e.g., persons working in sexual health clinics or clinical settings that serve at risk populations).
- Proper use of personal protective equipment and infection control practices are effective at reducing the risk of spread of the mpox virus when examining a patient or handling contaminated materials.
- Major health systems have been allocated Jynneos vaccine to support vaccination of eligible staff and personnel. Eligible individuals may also visit vax.sccgov.org to register for upcoming vaccine clinics operated by the County of Santa Clara.
As more mpox vaccine supply becomes available from the federal government, additional recommendations about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP) for certain groups are anticipated. Eligible individuals can visit vax.sccgov.org to register for upcoming vaccine clinics operated by the County of Santa Clara.
If you are interested in offering the Jynneos vaccine at your practice, please email [email protected] with your interest.
At this time, intradermal administration of Jynneos is preferred for all eligible individuals as described in the EUA. CDC also recommends to “have both subcutaneous and intradermal vaccine administration options available on site so that those unable or unwilling to receive the intradermal regimen can receive the subcutaneous regimen.”
Mpox vaccine providers are required to complete the following reporting requirements in accordance with SCC, CDPH and HHS requirements:
| Item | Frequency | Details |
|---|---|---|
| CAIR | Daily | Allowable methods: electronic health record data exchange, manual data entry, Mass Vax module |
| Waste report | Weekly | Report wasted, spoiled, or expired vaccine using the myCAvax waste report. |
| Temperature excursions | As needed | Contact manufacturer to assess vaccine viability; inform [email protected] of any wasted doses due to temperature excursions |
| VAERS | As needed | Report vaccine administration errors and serious adverse events or as listed in FDA EUA Fact Sheet |
- Hospital infection control and occupation health teams should review and follow CDC’s guidance on infection prevention and control recommendations in healthcare settings.
- If an exposure occurs, healthcare providers should utilize the CDC exposure risk assessment to characterize exposure risk as high, intermediate, low/uncertain for both exposed patients and healthcare workers.
- Healthcare providers who have unprotected exposures to patients with monkeypox do not need to be excluded from work but should undergo active monitoring.
- Healthcare providers who have cared for patients with monkeypox while adhering to recommended infection control precautions may undergo self-monitoring or active monitoring.
Additional resources
| CDC mpox clinical recognition |
| CDC genital ulcer evaluation |
| CDC STI screening recommendations |
| Treatment indications |
| Tecovirimat (TPOXX) IND Protocol and Forms |
| Health care settings |
| Exposure risk assessment |
| Calls/Webinars |
| Sign up for County of Santa Clara Public Health Department alerts |
| Sign up for CDC health alerts |
| SCCPHD Mpox website |
| CDPH Mpox website |
| CDC Mpox in United States |
| Full prescribing information |
| Jynneos shipping and storage information |
| Jynneos storage and expiration Q&A |
| Jynneos VIS |
| Mpox Factsheet: English | Spanish |
| What Gay and Bisexual Men Need to Know About Mpox: English | Spanish | Vietnamese |
| Mpox and Safer Sex: English | Spanish | Vietnamese |
| Reducing Stigma in Mpox Communication and Community Engagement: English |
| Household Isolation Guidance: English | Spanish |