Deemed “misleading” and “stigmatizing”, the names of the strains of monkeypox have been replaced by Roman numerals. This was recently announced by the WHO.
- The monkeypox virus was named when it was discovered in 1958.
- Worldwide, more than 31,665 cases of monkeypox have been recorded.
- A total of 12 people have died after suffering from the disease.
In mid-June, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it wanted to change the name of monkeypox and its variants, named by regions or countries in Africa. The reason is simple: these names are considered misleading, discriminatory and stigmatizing for African territories and people with this infectious disease. Also, the virus is not only associated with monkeys.
The use of Roman numerals
To put an end to prejudice, a group of world experts brought together by the WHO has agreed on new names for the variants of the virus. “Newly identified viruses, related diseases and virus variants should be named in a way that does not offend cultural, social, national, regional, professional or ethnic groups, and that minimizes any negative impact on trade, travel, tourism or animal welfare”, can we read in a statement. On August 12, the health authority announced that it had renamed the different strains of monkeypox, using Roman numerals.
Immediate implementation
According to the WHO, experts have reached consensus on a new terminology. “A consensus has been reached to designate the former Congo Basin (Central Africa) clade as clade one (I) and the former West African clade as clade two (II)”, explained the organization. The new clade names are expected to take effect immediately while work continues on disease and virus names.
