Monkeypox Is Now ‘Mpox’ to Avoid Stigma, the WHO Says
- Virus will officially be called ‘mpox,’ organization says
- Global outbreak has slowed substantially since August peak
The WHO will initially use mpox alongside monkeypox to avoid confusion, and the old name will be phased out after a year.
Photographer: Jill Connelly/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The World Health Organization has recommended that the monkeypox virus be renamed “mpox” to avoid what it called racist and stigmatizing language surrounding the infection.
US public health agencies will use the new term in correspondence with the medical community and the public, according to a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services that praised the decision. HHS has supported an “urgent process” to change the name, the statement said.