Fecal Transplant Treatments Could Transmit Monkeypox, FDA Warns

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Fecal microbiota for transplantation (FMT) treatments could infect patients with monkeypox, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned.

Since May, an outbreak of monkeypox has been spreading in multiple countries, including the United States. Nearly 16,000 people in the United States have already been infected with the virus, which is transmitted through close physical contact with symptomatic individuals.

Monkeypox virus DNA has been found in rectal swabs and stool samples from infected people, the FDA said in its alert, which was issued this week. That includes one study where monkeypox virus was found in three people who reported no symptoms of the disease, the agency said.

"FDA is advising that clinical use of FMT has the potential to transmit monkeypox virus," the alert said. As a result, the FDA has recommended donor screening for clinical trials involving fecal transplants if the studies involve stool donated on or after March 15, 2022. Patients should also be informed of the monkeypox risk, the agency added.

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