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Your Questions Answered about Monkeypox
What is Monkeypox?
According to the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC), monkeypox is a rare disease that is caused by infection with monkeypox virus. Monkeypox belongs to a genus that “includes variola virus (the cause of smallpox), vaccinia virus (used in the smallpox vaccine), and cowpox virus.”
How does Monkeypox (disease) present itself?
According to the CDC, the early stages of the monkeypox illness, symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion. The clinical presentation evolves to include macules, papules, vesicles, pustules and scabs.
How is Monkeypox spread?
The CDC has indicated that monkeypox “spreads between people primarily through direct contact with infectious sores, scabs, or body fluids. It also can be spread by respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact,” among other transmission paths.
How can Monkeypox transmission be prevented?
According to the CDC, these are some of the recommended best practices. As always, consult with medical experts to determine what is best for your business.
Like with any other communicable disease, avoid contact with individuals (or animals) with confirmed or suspected cases of Monkeypox. Isolation or cohorting of infected individuals may be applicable (i.e., health care facilities or long term care centers.) Caring of infected individuals requires use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Practice good hand hygiene by using soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizers that meets Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards if water and soap are not available, especially after contact with frequently touched surfaces.
Disinfect hard, non-porous surfaces, especially high touch surfaces, with disinfectants included in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) List Q.
“Activities that could resuspend dried material from lesions should be avoided (e.g., use of portable fans, dry dusting, sweeping, or vacuuming).
“Management of food service items should also be performed in accordance with routine procedures.” Wares from infected and non-infected individuals could be comingled as long as they are properly washed and not shared before such step.
“Soiled laundry (e.g., bedding, towels, personal clothing) should be handled in accordance with standard practices, avoiding contact with lesion material that may be present on the laundry. Soiled laundry should be gently and promptly contained in an appropriate laundry bag and never be shaken or handled in manner that may disperse infectious material.” Standard linen washing procedures are adequate, per CDC.
What is List Q?
List Q is U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Disinfectants for Emerging Viral Pathogens (EVPs) List. It includes registered disinfectants expected to reduce the spread, on treated hard, non-porous surfaces, of novel viral pathogens that cause outbreaks, such as monkeypox. Learn more at the EPA’s website.
How should I use List Q to determine if a disinfectant is appropriate for use against Monkeypox?
Determine the Tier level for the emerging viral pathogen to be inactivated. The List Q webpage provides the Tier level for specific emerging viral pathogens.
Using the List Q filters, enter the first two number parts of your disinfectant registration number in the cell titled “EPA Registration Number.” For example, for Spic and Span Disinfecting All-Purpose Spray and Glass Cleaner Concentrate, enter “3573-96”. When a disinfectant registration number has three parts, only the first two should be entered in the search cell in List Q. For example, enter “1839-215” instead of “1839-215-84740” for P&G Pro Line Disinfecting Floor and Surface Cleaner II.
Per EPA’s List Q website, monkeypox is a Tier 1 virus. If the disinfectant is appropriate for use against monkeypox, the result of the search would include “Yes” under “For use on Tier 1 viruses.”
The disinfectant would need to be used according to the directions for disinfection of the pathogen specified in the search result (for example, for Spic and Span Disinfecting All-Purpose Spray and Glass Cleaner Concentrate, this disinfectant would have to be used according to directions for disinfection of Norovirus.
What P&G Professional products can be used to kill similar viruses to monkeypox?
Monkeypox is caused by the monkeypox (MPX) virus. The products listed below kill similar viruses, and therefore can be used against the monkeypox virus when following directions for use against the virus listed on hard, non-porous surfaces. Refer to the CDC website for additional information.
† treated surfaces must remain visibly wet for the stated contact time
My disinfectant name is different than that shown on List Q. Is my disinfectant still appropriate for use against monkeypox?
The product name in list Q is the EPA registration name. The commercially available product almost always is a different name than the EPA name. As long as the first two parts of the disinfectant EPA Registration Number appears in List Q and it shows a “Yes” under “For use on Tier 1 viruses,” then the disinfectant is expected to be efficacious against monkeypox.
Where can I learn more about P&G Professional and its products?
For additional assistance, P&G Professional offers SmartAssist, a free virtual cleaning expert that can provide tailored cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing solutions for your business. Visit smartassist.pgpro.com to learn more.
Current as of 6/8/2022. About Procter & Gamble Professional P&G Professional is the away-from-home division of Procter & Gamble, serving the foodservice, building cleaning and maintenance, healthcare, hospitality, food/drug/mass, and convenience store industries. P&G Professional offers complete solutions utilizing its parent company's scale, trusted brands and strengths in market and consumer understanding. P&G Professional features such brands as Tide® Professional, Dawn® Professional, Microban 24® Professional, Cascade® Professional, Mr. Clean® Professional, Febreze® Professional, Swiffer® Professional, Comet®, Spic and Span®, Bounty®, Safeguard®, and its own brand, P&G Pro Line®. Please visit www.pgpro.com for the latest information about how to upgrade your clean with P&G Professional's solutions and services.
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