Mpox guidance for healthcare providers

Updated October 6, 2023

Clinicians should be alert to mpox (hMPXV) in patients with compatible symptoms. Many cases so far have identified as men who have sex with men. Vaccination, evaluation and testing of symptomatic individuals, and proper infection control can happen in any clinical setting.

Educate, vaccinate, and test your clients.

Reach out to the Oregon Health Authority at 971-673-1111 (epi on-call number) if you need clinical consultation with an on-call public health clinician either to determine if testing is needed, or to discuss whether treatment is needed for a confirmed case.

Testing

Information on testing (CDC)

No permission from the CDC or state/local public health is required, and most commercial labs offer orthopox testing. Turnaround times are typically 1-3 days from the time the lab receives the specimen. There is adequate lab testing capacity at this time.

Testing is important to stop transmission, to identify individuals at risk of severe disease and connect them with treatment, and to get an accurate case count locally so our state can continue to receive adequate resources. As mpox is a notifiable condition in Oregon, it also helps local public health identify close contacts who may need post-exposure prophylaxis.

Public and private healthcare clinicians can test and treat their own patients.
Information about proper PPE for evaluation and testing, and general infection prevention guidance for your clinic.
While suspected mpox isn’t a notifiable condition, OHA is requesting that clinicians connect with them about suspected cases here or by calling the Oregon Public Health Division 24/7 on-call line at 971-673-1111.
If you don’t see lab results within 5 days, reach out to the lab. Contact the patient with lab results whether the results are positive or negative. The health department will only see results if they are positive, so it is important for you to track results and call patients.

Caring for people with mpox

Follow clinical guidance for caring for individuals with hMPXV infection.

Schedule regular check-ins with patients with hMPXV infection—we suggest at minimum a twice weekly phone call to check-in about symptoms, more often for individuals at higher risk for severe outcome or those with progressive symptoms.

Patients should follow isolation guidance, including when individuals may discontinue isolation.