On Nov. 28, the World Health Organization renamed monkeypox disease as ‘mpox’ to remove the ‘racist and stigmatizing’ language that surrounded the use of the original name. Still, the WHO will take its time with the renaming. Both names will be used for a year until ‘monkeypox’ is phased out, allowing publications and journals to update the name usage. Mpox is caused by a variola virus that results in the ‘pox-like’ scars on the skin. The disease was first reported in 1958 when pox-like diseases occurred in monkey colonies used for research – hence the original name “monkeypox.” The first human mpox case was reported in 1970.
The mpox name change reflects an effort the WHO began about a decade ago to reduce the insult and stigma inflicted by diseases named for people, places and animals. Badly chosen names can stigmatize people. For example, an early name for AIDS was gay-related immunity deficiency, before it was renamed acquired immune deficiency syndrome. In another example, the flu that became a pandemic in 2009 is still called the swine flu. Though is not transmitted by pigs, some countries initially slaughtered pigs and banned exports of pork because they thought the disease could spread from pigs. Most recently, with COVID-19, the WHO took pains to make sure the disease was not named the ‘China’ flu. COVID-19 is short for ‘coronavirus disease 2019.’ The WHO urges researchers, health officials, and journalists to use more neutral, generic terms, such as severe respiratory disease or novel neurologic syndrome.