The World Health Organization (WHO) has opened the door to introducing a new name for monkeypox, in a desire to “adapt the names of the disease and its variants with current best practices.”

How can I apply?

And what is the link?

Why is the organization seeking to change the name of the disease that has spread recently?

Should we expect to see a change in the names of diseases such as bird flu, swine flu and mad cow disease?

How do you suggest a new name for monkeypox?

Anyone wishing to suggest new names can do so via the following:

  • visit this link

  • Entering the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11)

  • Add proposals

Naming monkeypox strains

On the subspecies of monkeypox, the World Health Organization held a meeting on August 8, and based on consensus, the group endemic to the Congo Basin (Central Africa) will henceforth be referred to as group I and to the group endemic to the west of the continent In the name of the second group (II).

In addition, it was agreed that the second group (II) would consist of two subgroups.

The appropriate naming structure will be expressed with a Roman numeral assigned to the group and with a lowercase alphanumeric character for either subgroup.

Accordingly, the new nomenclature includes the terms group I, group II (A), and group II (B), the latter referring primarily to the group of mutant largely prevalent in the 2022 global outbreak.

Where did the name monkeypox come from?

The WHO says monkeypox was given the name because it was first identified in monkeys used in a Danish research laboratory in 1958.

But it wasn't discovered in humans until 1970 and the first confirmed case was a 9-month-old baby from the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a report in ABC News.

This was all long before the World Health Organization reached its own disease name agreements in 2015.

Why does the WHO want to change the name of monkeypox?

There are two reasons:

  • Reducing stigma and discrimination

  • Get a more accurate name

stigmatization

In an open letter in June 2022, 29 scientists called for an urgent renaming of the monkeypox strains to something more neutral.

The scientists said - according to "ABC News" - that the emergence of the disease in Africa gave the impression that it is a problem that is specific to the continent alone.

And his association with monkeys, which usually live in warm regions of Asia, Africa and South America, suggests that this is not the case for Western countries, which usually have a cold climate.

The WHO Fact sheet on monkeypox says that since the disease was first identified, most confirmed cases have been reported from previous outbreaks in the Congo Basin and Central and West Africa.

In their letter, the group of scientists said the current outbreak was "detected without a clear link to Africa".

"In the context of the current global outbreak, the persistent reference to and categorization of this virus as being African is not only inaccurate but also discriminatory and stigmatized," the scientists wrote, adding, "The clearest manifestation of this is the use of images of African patients to portray smallpox lesions in the major global media outlets." .

They also said, "Current best practice is that names should be given to newly identified viruses, related diseases and variants of viruses with a view to avoiding causing offence to any cultural, social, national, regional, professional or ethnic groups, and minimizing any negative impact on trade, travel or tourism." or animal welfare.

More accurate name

In addition to the above, scientists have made it clear that monkeys are not the only host for the virus, but also rodents such as squirrels.

In fact, it is still not clear which animal is the original natural host.

The WHO Fact Sheet says the natural reservoir for monkeypox has yet to be determined "although rodents are the most likely".

Attacks against monkeys

And this August, the World Health Organization urged the public not to attack monkeys amid an outbreak of the disease, after reports of them being poisoned and killed in Brazil.

"What people need to know is the transmission that we see happening between humans," WHO spokeswoman Dr. Margaret Harris said, according to NBC News, at a press conference in Geneva.

The Brazilian newspaper, "G1", reported that at least 10 monkeys were found in the country, showing signs of poisoning or being harmed.

Seven of them died and the others were monitored at a zoo in Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Sao Paulo state.

Brazil's Military Environment Police believe the poisonings were carried out by people out of fear of monkeypox, G1 newspaper reported.

In response, police reinforced patrols of the forest.

Meanwhile, the civilian police are investigating whether the cases are criminal.

Some animal organs are also being studied to determine the cause of death, according to G1.

Harris noted that the concern should be about where it is transmitted between humans and what humans can do to protect themselves from infection and transmission.

They should definitely not attack any animals."

Will the names of diseases such as bird flu, swine flu, and mad cow disease change?

According to the current data, no, because they are the names of diseases that have already taken root.

In 2015, the World Health Organization released Best Practices for naming new human infectious diseases.

The organization then called on scientists, national authorities and the media to follow best practices in naming new human infectious diseases in order to reduce as much as possible unnecessary negative impacts on countries, economies and people.

"In recent years, several new human infectious diseases have emerged," said Dr Keiji Fukuda, WHO's Assistant Director-General for Health Security. "Using names such as swine flu and Middle East respiratory syndrome have had unintended negative effects due to the stigmatization of certain communities or economic sectors. This may seem A trivial matter for some.

"However, the names of diseases are important to the people directly involved. We have seen how the names of certain diseases have led to a strong reaction against members of particular religious or ethnic communities, created undue barriers to travel, exchange and trade, and unnecessarily caused the culling of animals for food. This has serious implications for people's lives and livelihoods."

Best practices on infections, syndromes and new diseases

"Best practices apply to new infections, syndromes and diseases that were never previously known or reported in humans, have potential public health effects and do not have a name in common use. However, they do not apply to disease names that have already established themselves," WHO added. ".

"Names to avoid include geographical locations (eg, Middle East respiratory syndrome, Spanish flu, Rift Valley fever), names of people (eg, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Chagas disease) and animal or food species (swine flu, etc.)," ​​WHO said. avian influenza, monkeypox) and cultural, demographic, industrial or occupational references (eg, Legionnaires’ disease) and terms that arouse undue fear (eg, unknown, killer, epidemic)”.

It is noteworthy that monkeypox is a common and well-established name, but the World Health Organization is working to change it now.

So who knows, we may see the coming years change the names of diseases such as bird flu, swine flu and mad cow disease.