Monkeypox will be renamed something new, however it is unknown what.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged that it is working on a new name for the virus in response to concerns that the current word is discriminatory.
As fears grow, the UN agency is set to debate whether to assign the virus its highest health warning rating.
The WHO announced yesterday that an emergency meeting would be held next week to decide whether to declare the epidemic a public health emergency of worldwide concern (PHEIC).
For decades, the disease was thought to be isolated to West and Central Africa, until well over 1,000 cases were discovered in dozens of nations outside the region.
As he announced the formation of the emergency committee on Thursday, June 23, WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the outbreak “unusual and concerning.”
If it is certified as a PHEIC, it will be only the third ailment in the world, following Covid-19 and polio.
‘The WHO is also working with partners and experts from around the world on changing the name of the monkeypox virus… and the disease it causes,’ Dr Tedros added.
‘We will make announcements about the new names as soon as possible.’
The decision comes after more than 30 scientists demanded a new name last week.
There was a ‘urgent need for a non-discriminatory and non-stigmatizing nomenclature for monkeypox,’ they wrote.
‘In the context of the current global outbreak, continued reference to, and nomenclature of, this virus being African is not only inaccurate, but also discriminatory and stigmatising,’ the group wrote.
According to the WHO, there have been 1,600 confirmed and 1,500 suspected cases of monkeypox in 39 countries this year, with 72 deaths.
While monkeypox was first detected in macaques, many instances are thought to be spread to people via rodents.
A high fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a blistery chickenpox-like rash are typical first symptoms of monkeypox.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States stated last week that current cases do not usually present with flu-like symptoms, and rashes are sometimes limited to specific locations.
The committee meeting next week will include global specialists, but the final judgment on whether the outbreak deserves the PHEIC label will be made by the WHO director general.
Giving it one would aid in the acceleration of research and funding.
Following criticism of the agency’s early response to the coronavirus epidemic, experts have been pushing for faster action for several weeks.
To combat the spread, the WHO advises using “tried-and-tested health tools including surveillance, contact tracing, and isolation of infected patients.”
The virus spreads by close contact, and many cases have been found in men who have intercourse with other men in the UK.
According to the WHO, it is fatal in about 3-6 percent of cases, although no deaths have been documented outside of Africa in current outbreak.
Dr. Tedros stated that it was time to consider scaling up the response because the virus was behaving abnormally, more nations were affected, and international coordination was required.