WHO to rename monkeypox as 'MPOX'? Here's why

The World Health Organization (WHO) is planning to rename monkeypox as "MPOX" in an effort to destigmatise the virus, Politico reported on Tuesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The decision is expected to be announced as early as Wednesday.

The US newspaper reported that the decision to rename the viral disease came in response to growing pressure from senior Biden officials who privately urged WHO leaders to change the name.

In August, the WHO had said that a group of global experts had agreed on new names for monkeypox virus variants. "The experts agreed to name the clades using Roman numerals," it had said.

The monkeypox virus was named upon first discovery in 1958. This was before the practices of naming diseases and viruses were adopted. the same case was for the name of the disease it causes. "Major variants were identified by the geographic regions where they were known to circulate, the WHO said.

Now, the current "best practice" is that newly-identified viruses, related disease, and virus variants should be given names with "the aim to avoid causing offense to any cultural, social, national, regional, professional, or ethnic groups, and minimize any negative impact on trade, travel, tourism or animal welfare".

Experts warn the name can be stigmatising to the primates it was named after, but who play little role in its spread, and to the African continent that the animals are often associated with, news agency AFP reported earlier. For instance, recently in Brazil, there have been reported cases of people attacking monkeys over disease fears.

According to public health researchers and critics, the term "monkeypox" evokes racial stereotypes about Black people, Africans, and LGBTQ people, Live Mint reported. The term wrongly implies that monkeys are the primary source of the virus. "It is discriminatory and stigmatising," the report quoted some scientists as saying.

The International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) is reposnsible for naming a virus specie.

In early November, the WHO said that the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee had determined that monkeypox should continue to be classified as a global health emergency.

Monkeypox, a relatively mild viral illness that is endemic in several countries in western and central Africa, exploded around the world earlier this year.

As of data on Wednesday (November 23), there are 29,199 cases of monkeypox in the US and a total of 14 deaths have been reported in the country so far, as per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the health agency, as many as 80,634 monkeypox cases have been reported across the globe.

Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom (UK), 3,561 confirmed and 149 highly probable monkeypox cases were detected in the UK as of November 14, 2022. Of these, 95 were reported in Scotland, 34 were in Northern Ireland, 47 were in Wales and 3,534 were in England, the government said.

According to the WHO, "most reported cases have been identified through sexual health or other health services in primary or secondary health-care facilities and have involved mainly, but not exclusively, men who have sex with men".

Recently, data for the Bavarian Nordic vaccine in England revealed that a single dose of the monkeypox vaccine provides 78 percent protection against the virus. "The single shot provides 78% protection 14 days after being vaccinated, while a second dose is expected to offer even greater and longer lasting protection," the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.