How To Transport Mpox Samples

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the mpox outbreak in Africa a public health emergency as of August 2024. The highly contagious disease, which killed 450 people in the Republic of Congo has now spread to central and east Africa. There has also been one confirmed case in Sweden. The previous outbreak of Mpox in 2022 was classed as the milder Clade 2 strain which causes less severe symptoms. The latest outbreak however has been classed as Clade 1 (originally know as the ‘Central African’ or ‘Congo Basin’ clade), a much more dangerous variant with a higher likelihood of fatalities.

Since the beginning of 2024, there have been over 13,700 cases of mpox in the DR Congo. The virus mutated in September of last year to create the Clade 1 variant which has since been found in other African countries including Burundi, the Central African Republic, Kenya, and Rwanda.

The virus causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions and is spread through bodily fluids, skin-to-skin contact, and talking or breathing near an infected person.

Compliance

The UK Government has stated that suspected mpox samples should be transported in accordance with UN3373 Category B guidelines for the transport of dangerous or toxic substances. Samples that are confirmed to be infected with the mpox virus should be assigned to Category A.

Below is a brief breakdown of Category A and Category B samples:

Category B is known as UN3373 and is described as: ‘an infectious substance which does not meet the criteria for inclusion in Category A.’

Category A is divided into two further sub-categories: UN2814 (affecting humans) and UN2900 (affecting animals only) and is described as: ‘an infectious substance which is carried in a form that, when exposure to it occurs, is capable of causing permanent disability, life-threatening or fatal disease in otherwise healthy humans or animals.’

We have created a helpful guide that highlights the difference between Category A and Category B substances, which you can access here.

The new strain of mpox Clade 1 has also been assigned a high consequence infectious disease (HCID) status. The UK Government defines a HCID as being an infectious disease with a high case-fatality rate that is often difficult to recognise and detect quickly. The full list of HCID criteria can be accessed here. HCIDs can be spread either through skin-to-skin contact or airborne through respiratory droplets.

Packaging

Intelsius carries two ranges of sample transport packaging that are suitable for the shipment of both suspected and confirmed Mpox samples.

PathoPak

Certified for Category A and Category B shipments, the PathoPak sample transport meets IATA, ADR, and CFR 49 (DOT) transport regulations and provides optimal protection for your samples regardless of the specimen classification.

PathoPak is a strong, durable and highly protective solution that is appropriate for shipping primaries like blood tubes, specimen containers, swabs, blood collection/transfusion bags and medical devices, making it ideal for the transport of mpox samples.

The range is available in 800ml, 1L, 2L or 3L sizes.

PathoShield

PathoShield is a complete shipping solution designed to carry a wide range of primaries, including blood vials, swabs and sample containers. Each system is pre-printed with the required markings and includes the relevant components to ship mpox samples in compliance with transport regulations.

The range is available in multiple sizes, accommodating between 3 and 6 tubes per box. They are also available as outer packaging only.

PathoShield is compliant with both Category A and Category B transport requirements. You can read more about the range here.

Get in Touch

If you would like to know more about our range of sample transport solutions or if you require more clarification on the UN sample transport classification, reach out to cs@intelsius.com and our customer service representatives will be happy to assist you.

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