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With the global resurgence of Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, a comprehensive approach to managing the occupational risks of this and other emerging infectious diseases is urgently needed, according to an editorial in the June issue of the
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
"Effective management of Mpox and similar infectious threats requires prioritizing high-risk occupational groups and implementing adaptive risk mitigation strategies that respond to the virus's evolving nature," according to new report by Angela Stufano, PhD, and Prof. Piero Lovreglio of University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy, and colleagues.
"This approach is essential to containing further outbreaks, reducing global transmission risks, and preventing future pandemics."
Mpox is a zoonotic disease, spread by close contact with infected animals or humans. Originating in rural Africa, major outbreaks of Mpox have spread around the world in recent years. While sexual transmission is the predominant mode of spread, occupational exposure to Mpox also carries significant risks – particularly for workers who interact with infected animals or humans, such as healthcare workers (HCWs).
Considering available evidence on Mpox transmission, the authors advocate a multidisciplinary "One Health" approach, integrating human, animal, and environmental health perspectives. Collaborative efforts among veterinarian services, wildlife conservation, and public health are geared toward developing an early warning system, with the goal of early recognition and containment of Mpox outbreaks.
Toward mitigating the occupational hazards of Mpox, the authors advocate an innovative technique called "Failure Modes and Effects Analysis" (FMEA), which seeks to identify adverse outcomes caused by failures in complex systems. FMEA includes approaches to identifying and prioritizing the most critical risks, enabling healthcare organizations to continuously adjust risk assessments and mitigation strategies – and thus address new scientific understanding of Mpox and its spread.
One Health and FMEA provide a proactive approach to the evolving threat of Mpox, and potentially other emerging diseases. Incorporating perspectives from African coauthors, the editorial discusses barriers to implementing the FMEA approach in low-resource settings.
The FMEA framework "translates theoretical risk factors into actionable insights tailored to occupational settings, uncovers previously overlooked transmission pathways, and emphasizes the importance of data-driven, proactive strategies for mitigating the spread of Mpox," the editorial authors conclude. They believe that FMEA provides a "scalable and practical model for managing occupational risks associated with emerging infectious diseases" and "a robust tool to protect vulnerable populations and prevent future outbreaks."
About the Author
Dr. Stufano may be contacted for interviews at angela.stufano(at)uniba.it