Guidance

Monkeypox Waste and Samples Transport

The below giudance was updated on 30 June 2022, and issued by the Department for Transport

The following Multilateral Agreement 347, derogates infectious substances containing monkeypox virus, except for cultures, to Category B. This has been issued in light of new information and has been supported at an international level and the WHO. 
 
Samples will be assigned to UN3373 Biological Substance Category B.  Waste will be assigned to UN3291, clinical waste, unspecified, n.o.s. 
 
If there is no pharmaceutical or chemical contamination, the waste should be disposed of in an orange bag and is suitable for alternative treatment. The waste should be handled as any other waste containing infectious material so there should be no extra precautions that need to be taken if you are handing waste safely to start with.

Sharps should be disposed of in the appropriate sharps bins. Infectious waste should contain infectious substances, if the waste is not sharp,  but contains body fluids from non infectious patients, it should be classified as offensive waste. 
 
Any cultures remain UN2814 infectious substances affecting humans.  
 
This applies to all clades of the virus from a transport perspective only, there will be situations where a patient is managed in an High Consequence Infectious Disease Unit but the waste is UN3291.