In cases of emerging viral pathogens such as Monkeypox Virus (MPV), when there is no test that can be conducted to validate the efficacy of a disinfectant, the EPA utilizes their Emerging Viral Pathogens Policy to determine the expected efficacy of a disinfectant against an emerging virus. In the case of an enveloped virus such as MPV, the following criteria are used to determine efficacy of a disinfectant upon enactment of the Emerging Viral Pathogens Policy:
- The product must be a hospital or broad-spectrum disinfectant product registered with the EPA.
- The product must have acceptable efficacy data previously submitted to and reviewed by the Agency against at least one non-enveloped virus, which are considered to be more resistant to disinfectants compared to enveloped viruses such as MPV.
The Rescue line of disinfectants (including Rescue Concentrate, Ready-to-Use liquid and Wipes) fulfill these criteria and therefore can be used against MPV on hard, non-porous surfaces as part of a facility’s infection prevention and control protocols.
Rescue Concentrate (EPA# 74559-4) should be applied at a 1:64 dilution for a contact time of five minutes. Rescue Ready-to-Use liquid (EPA# 74559-9) and Wipes (EPA# 74559-10) should be applied with a one-minute contact time.
To learn more about this ongoing situation as it unfolds, please refer to the CDC’s information page at the following link: https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/index.html.