Addressing the risk of monkeypox exposure during gastrointestinal endoscopy

The current monkeypox virus (MPV) outbreak is now a global health concern. MPV, a zoonotic double-stranded DNA virus, may be transmitted from human to human or by contaminated surfaces. Understanding the clinical characteristics and risks of MPV transmission are important, especially for health care workers, who may unknowingly encounter the virus while fulfilling their clinical responsibilities. The World Health Organization has recognized this orthopoxvirus outbreak as a public health emergency and the knowledge gaps regarding MPV’s transmission are likely to have contributed to its spread. Instituting proper infection controls in all settings, including the endoscopy suite, is critical to stemming this developing epidemic. Direct contact with skin lesions is the primary mode of transmission, and anorectal lesions are the most common skin manifestation. Hence, gastroenterologists and endoscopists are very likely to see patients with MPV infection. In this context, patients may present with symptoms of proctitis, or lesions may be encountered unexpectedly during anoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy. In consequence, preprocedural exams and endoscopic procedures may increase exposure risk, especially if characteristic lesions go unrecognized. In this review, we provide background epidemiological and virological information, but focus on the potential risk of MPV exposure during gastrointestinal endoscopy and evaluate current practices regarding personal protective equipment and post-procedure instrument and endoscopy suite decontamination.