WHO decides to give monkeypox a new name

The WHO believes that animal names, place names, people's names or cultural references should not be used in the name of diseases.

As the head of WHO Theodore Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted, the new name of this disease will be announced as soon as possible. He added that the outbreak of the disease in non-endemic countries is alarming.

To date, the WHO has registered more than 1,600 cases of monkeypox this year. Another 1.5 thousand cases are at the stage of confirmation. Cases have been identified in 39 countries. In 32 countries, the disease had not previously been identified.

Since the beginning of the year, 72 deaths from this disease have already been registered. All deaths from countries where the disease is endemic. No human deaths have yet been reported in non-affected countries, although the WHO is investigating a human death in Brazil, likely from monkeypox.

The organization does not believe that it is now necessary to start mass vaccination of people against this disease, since the number of vaccines is limited, but WHO has published guidance on the use of vaccines for certain categories.

Theodore Adhanom Ghebreyesus also noted that he was convening an emergency committee to assess the danger of this disease.

Monkeypox got its name when it was identified in a Danish laboratory in 1958. The first case of human infection with this virus was discovered in 1970 in the Congo.