Guidance

Information for health & care workers

On this page, find information for health & care workers on: 

• Mpox Guidance
• Assessment & Testing Pathways
• Management of Cases and Contacts
• Forms

For patient information resources please go here

Information about a free counselling service for people experiencing difficulties following an mpox diagnosis, via The MPOWER Programme at HIV Ireland, is available here

Mpox Guidance

Please note that selected mpox guidance documents are currently **UNDER REVIEW**. This is due to the evolving situation following the WHO declaration of Clade I Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on August 14th 2024.

Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for High Consequence Infectious Diseases are available here. 

Mpox in pregnancy - Guidance for maternity services

30, Sep 2024
289.46 KB

Laboratory testing in patients with suspected or confirmed mpox

12, Sep 2024
370.77 KB

**UNDER REVIEW** Tecovirimat Guidance

Tecovirimat orders are made via the Tecovirimat order form previously circulated to all consultants in Genitourinary Medicine and Infectious Diseases and within the mpox Operational Support Guidance circulated in May 2023.
05, May 2023
329.24 KB

Mpox IPC Guidance

Infection Prevention and Control Precautions for healthcare workers for the management of possible or confirmed Mpox cases (Clade I and Clade II)

15, May 2025
249.31 KB

Assessment and testing pathways

MPXV Risk Assessment for Ambulance Service

04, Nov 2024
568.73 KB

Interim MPXV Clade I & II Assessment and Testing Pathway for use in Acute Settings and HIV/STI/ID clinics

24, Feb 2025
383.04 KB

Interim MPXV Clade I & II Assessment and Testing Pathway for use in Paediatric Setting

24, Feb 2025
363.47 KB

Interim MPXV Clade I & II Assessment Pathway for Clinical Settings in the Community

30, Oct 2024
398.16 KB

Management of Cases and Contacts

For information on the HSE Infectious Diseases Isolation Facility including contact details and referral form, please see here.

Interim Guidance for the Public Health Management of Cases and Contacts of mpox – Chapter 1 (Introduction)

07, Apr 2025
336.44 KB

Interim Guidance for the Public Health Management of Cases and Contacts of mpox – Chapter 2 (Clade I Cases and their Contacts)

07, Apr 2025
723.96 KB

Interim Guidance for the Public Health Management of Cases and Contacts of mpox – Chapter 3 (Clade II Cases and their Contacts)

07, Apr 2025
269.48 KB

Interim Guidance for the Public Health Management of Cases and Contacts of mpox in Ireland - Chapter 4: Contact Tracing Matrix (Clade I and Clade II)

07, Apr 2025
543.88 KB

Interim Guidance for the Public Health Management of Cases and Contacts of mpox – Chapter 5 (Clades I & II: School & Childcare facilities)

11, Nov 2024
425.53 KB

Interim Public Health Risk Assessment for Humanitarian Aid Worker returning from MPXV Clade I Areas

11, Nov 2024
73.24 KB

Information on isolation facility including contact details and referral form

04, May 2023
678.59 KB

Forms

Information on isolation facility including contact details and referral form

04, May 2023
678.59 KB

Mpox case investigation form Clade I

12, Sep 2024
171.09 KB

Surveillance of mpox clade I

30, Aug 2024
47.66 KB

Sample virtual wellbeing assessment template

04, May 2023
109.4 KB

Mpox Clade II case investigation and Enhanced Surveillance form (PDF)

20, Sep 2024
307.8 KB

Mpox Active Monitoring Template Email/Letter

03, Mar 2025
1.63 MB

Mpox Passive Monitoring Template Email/Letter

03, Mar 2025
1.68 MB

Case definition

Clinical criteria

A person with, or who has had, one or more of the following

• Unexplained recent onset rash which may include single or multiple lesions in the ano-genital region or elsewhere on the body.
• Mucosal lesions – single or multiple lesions which may be oral, conjunctival, urethral, penile, vaginal or anorectal.
• Proctitis (rectal pain/tenesmus/rectal bleeding).
• One or more classical symptom(s) of mpox (monkeypox) infection - acute illness with fever (>38.5◦C), headache, myalgia, arthralgia, back pain, lymphadenopathy, asthenia, fatigue.

Laboratory criteria

General criterion

Detection of monkeypox virus (MPXV)-specific DNA sequences by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or by sequencing of a clinical specimen.

Clade II specific criterion

Detection of MPXV clade II-specific DNA sequences by PCR and/or by sequencing of a clinical specimen.

Clade I specific criterion

Detection of MPXV clade I-specific DNA sequences by PCR and/or by sequencing of a clinical specimen.

Epidemiological criteria

At least one of the following epidemiological links in the 21 days before symptom onset:

Clade II criterion

An epidemiological link to a confirmed or probable case of mpox.

Clade I criteria

1. Travel History to an area where^1,2

• There is evidence of sustained human to human transmission of clade I MPXV or
•  Where clade I MPXV is currently endemic or
• Where there is a current risk of clade I MPXV

OR

1. A person who has had close or intimate in-person contact with individuals in a social network currently experiencing clade I MPXV activity
2. An epidemiological link to a confirmed or suspected case of mpox from clade I affected countries^1,2

OR

OR

An epidemiological link to a confirmed or probable case of clade I MPXV.

Case classification

Possible/Suspected case:
N/A

Probable case:

Clade II probable case classification

Any person meeting the clinical criteria and at least one of the following:

1. An epidemiological link to a confirmed or probable case of mpox in the 21 days before symptom onset
2. Reports a change in sexual partners in the 21 days prior to symptom onset, regardless of sexual practice³

Clade I probable case classification

Any person meeting the clinical criteria and at least one of the Clade I Epidemiological Criteria (above).

Confirmed case:
Any person meeting the laboratory criterion.

*Please note* - Mpox is an evolving situation, particularly following the WHO’s declaration of Clade I mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on August 14th, 2024. This case definition reflects the current understanding of the situation and may be updated as new information emerges.

Footnotes

¹Up to date information regarding the global distribution of reported mpox clades may be found on the WHO website at https://worldhealthorg.shinyapps.io/mpx_global/.

²Up to date information regarding the global distribution of reported mpox clades and a list of “at risk” countries can be found on the UKHSA website here: Clade I mpox: affected countries - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

³ Noting that clade II infection is more likely if the individual is gay, bisexual or other man who has sex with men (gbMSM) with recent partner change

Version 2.13
Last updated: 21 October 2024