The monkeypox virus is to be given a new name over fears it is discriminatory. The World Health Organization (WHO) has acted after a group of scientists from Africa wrote a paper that outlined an ‘urgent need for a non-discriminatory and non-stigmatising’ name for the virus.
They argued that referring to monkeypox as simply an ‘African’ virus is cause for concern. They instead referred to the virus with the term ‘hMPXV’.
Around 1,600 cases have been recorded globally in recent weeks and while 72 deaths have been reported in countries where monkeypox was already endemic, none have been reported in the newly affected countries like the UK.
