WHO To Formally Rename Monkeypox As “MPOX”

Politico reports:

The World Health Organization is planning to rename monkeypox, designating it as “MPOX” in an effort to destigmatize the virus that gained a foothold in the U.S. earlier this year. The decision follows an initial agreement the WHO made over the summer to consider suggestions for monkeypox’s new name.

Public health experts and LGBT activists had called for abandoning the virus’ name, which it received upon its discovery in 1958, since it began spreading widely this past spring. They argued that calling it the monkeypox is imprecise, plays into racist stereotypes about Africa and is detrimental to the global response.

Read the full article.

The disease has faded from the headlines in recent months, largely due to an effective information and vaccination campaign embraced by gay men.

In July, New York City was reporting as many as 100 new cases a day, but the most recent day’s figure shows only one new case.

Total NYC cases as of November 14th stands at 3771.

WHO plans to rename monkeypox to ‘MPOX’ – Politico https://t.co/iW0cVBqVZf pic.twitter.com/35k5KTAQgX

— Reuters (@Reuters) November 23, 2022