Monkeypox virus lingers on surfaces touched by an infected person, study finds

One study found that the MONKEYPOX virus can stubbornly stick to surfaces touched by an infected person.

The potentially deadly disease can stick to household items in a patient’s home even after extensive cleaning – but there is no evidence that you can pick up smallpox yourself after touching infected items.

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According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most of the samples in the experiment – 21 out of 30 – tested positive for the virus after coming into contact with infected people.

The experiment examined a home in Utah where two monkeypox patients lived with two uninfected people.

Investigators sanitized 30 household items from nine different areas of the house while both patients still had symptoms and were therefore actively spreading their infection.

The scientists tested two types of objects — labeling soft surfaces that can hold liquid such as clothing or furniture “porous” and labeling hard surfaces such as handles and switches “non-porous.”

Both types of objects were found to contain monkeypox, even after cleaning and disinfecting.

All three “porous” surfaces tested positive, while 17 of the 25 “non-porous” objects contained traces of the virus.

Only one item – the oven knobs – was negative and the rest of the samples were inconclusive.

But despite evidence of monkeypox on these household items, not a single sample was positive for the virus culture—meaning the disease was not “alive” and could not infect other people.

None of the other members of the household picked up the disease, so scientists are unsure how risky the discovery is to other people sharing the space with monkeypox patients.

The virus is mainly spread by physical contact, which means you are most likely to get monkeypox if you directly touch another person.

Although the evidence of bugs clinging to household items seems troubling, the finding may not pose a threat if the virus does not survive long enough to transmit to other people on these surfaces.

The CDC report read: “Monkeypox virus DNA was detected from many objects and surfaces, indicating that some level of contamination has occurred in the household environment.

“The inability to detect a viable virus suggests that the viability of the virus may be impaired over time or through chemical or environmental inactivation.”

It added: “Their cleaning and disinfection practices during this period would have limited the level of contamination within the home.”

Hopefully scientific research will help control the spread of monkeypox around the world.

The US has 13,517 cases, with California and New York having the highest number of cases.

There are currently around 20 cases of the bug being reported daily in the UK, down from 35 a week ago.

The UK has 3,081 confirmed cases – and 114 with extreme infections, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said in the latest figures.

Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men are at higher risk of contracting monkeypox.

UKHSA Incident Director Dr William Welfare said: “While the most recent data suggests the growth of the outbreak has slowed, we continue to see new cases every day.

“While anyone can get monkeypox, the majority of monkeypox cases in the UK occur in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, with infection mainly through close contact in mutual sex networks. .

“Please continue to be aware of symptoms including rashes and blisters, especially if you have recently had a new sexual partner.”

While there is a vaccine to prevent monkeypox, a vaccine campaign to prevent those most susceptible to the diseases has been slowed by the lack of it.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared rising cases a public health emergency, launching jobs for those most at risk.

But the vaccine maker has now warned that the demand is only increasing.

The drugmaker manufactures the Bavarian Nordic Genios shot.