Society guideline links: Orthopoxvirus (smallpox and mpox)

Introduction — 

This topic includes links to society and government-sponsored guidelines from selected countries and regions around the world. We will update these links periodically; newer versions of some guidelines may be available on each society's website. Some societies may require users to log in to access their guidelines.

The recommendations in the following guidelines may vary from those that appear in UpToDate topic reviews. Readers who are looking for UpToDate topic reviews should use the UpToDate search box to find the relevant content.

International

●World Health Organization (WHO): Diagnostic testing for the monkeypox virus (MPXV) – Interim guidance (2024)

●WHO: Surveillance, case investigation, and contact tracing for mpox (monkeypox) – Interim guidance (2024)

●WHO: Clinical management and infection prevention and control for monkeypox – Interim rapid response guidance (2022)

●WHO: Public health advice for gatherings during the current monkeypox outbreak (2022)

●WHO: Risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) for monkeypox outbreaks – Interim guidance (2022)

●WHO: Vaccines and immunization for monkeypox – Interim guidance (2022)

●WHO: Case definition for notification of smallpox under the IHR (2005) (published 2016)

●WHO: Smallpox – Clinical diagnosis (2016)

Canada

●Public Health Agency Canada (PHAC): Canadian Immunization Guide - Smallpox and monkeypox vaccine (2014, updated 2024)

●PHAC: Interim guidance on infection prevention and control for suspect, probable, or confirmed monkeypox within healthcare settings (2024)

●PHAC: Mpox (monkeypox) – Public health management of cases and contacts in Canada (2024)

●National Advisory Committee (NACI): Rapid response on interim guidance on the use of Imvamune in the context of monkeypox outbreaks in Canada (2022)

United States

●Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Mpox – For health care providers

•Case definitions

•Clinical features

•Clinical overview

•Clinical treatment

-Clinical considerations for mpox in children and adolescents in the US

-Clinical considerations for mpox in immunocompromised people

-Clinical considerations for pain management

-Clinical considerations for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding

-Interim clinical considerations for management of ocular mpox

-Tecovirimat (TPOXX) for treatment of mpox

•Diagnostic testing

-Guidelines for collecting and handling specimens for mpox testing

•Infection control

-Autopsy and handling of human remains of patients with mpox

-Isolation and infection control at home

-Mpox infection prevention and control in healthcare settings

•Laboratory information

•Vaccine for mpox prevention in the United States

•Veterinary guidance

•Virologic and immunologic characteristics of severe mpox in persons with advanced HIV (VIRISMAP)

●CDC: Smallpox – For health care providers

•Clinical signs and symptoms

•Clinical treatment

•Diagnosis and evaluation

•Laboratory information

•Vaccines

●Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP): Use of JYNNEOS (smallpox and monkeypox vaccine, live, nonreplicating) for preexposure vaccination of persons at risk for occupational exposure to orthopoxviruses – Recommendations, United States (2022)

●American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)/Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF): Statement on monkeypox (2022)

●ACIP: Recommendations for the use of vaccinia virus smallpox vaccine in laboratory and health care personnel at risk for occupational exposure to orthopoxviruses, 2015 (published 2016)

Europe

●European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC): Considerations for contact tracing during the monkeypox outbreak in Europe (2022)

●ECDC: Interim advice for public health authorities on summer events during the monkeypox outbreak in Europe (2022)

●ECDC: Interim advice on risk communication and community engagement during the monkeypox outbreak in Europe (2022)

●ECDC: Risk assessment – Monkeypox multi-country outbreak (2022)

●ECDC: Risk communication and community engagement approaches during the monkeypox outbreak in Europe (2022)

United Kingdom

●UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA): Mpox (monkeypox) – Guidance

•Case definitions (2022, updated 2024)

•Contact tracing (2022, updated 2024)

•De-isolation and discharge of mpox-infected patients (2022, updated 2024)

•Diagnostic testing (2022, updated 2024)

•Principles for mpox (monkeypox) control in the UK – 4 nations consensus statement (2022, updated 2024)

•Prisons and places of detention (2022, updated 2024)

•Reducing risk of transmission at vaccination clinics (2022, updated 2024)

•Semen testing for viral DNA (2022, updated 2024)

•Cleaning sex-on-premises venues (2022)

•Planning events and mass gatherings (2022)

•Vaccination strategy (2022)

●UKHSA: The Green Book – Immunisation against infectious disease: Smallpox and monkeypox (2013, updated 2024)

●British HIV Association (BHIVA): Rapid statement on monkeypox virus (2022)

●BHIVA: Guidelines on the use of vaccines in HIV-positive adults – Smallpox (2015)

Australia–New Zealand

●Public Health Laboratory Network (PHLN): Guidance on monkeypox patient referral, specimen collection and test requesting for general practitioners and sexual health physicians (2022, updated 2025)

●Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI): The Australian Immunisation Handbook – Mpox (previously known as monkeypox) (2024)

●Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA): National guidelines for public health units on monkeypox virus infection (2024)