The monkeypox virus, which emerged while we were just starting to get over the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected us all in recent years, is currently among the things that the whole world is talking about the most. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a ‘global emergency’ for this disease, which is also seen in our country, in the past weeks and increased concerns.
Now, new statements about the virus have come from WHO. WHO announced that it wanted the current name of the disease to be renamed on the grounds that it could lead to misunderstandings. The organization added that it will take help from people for the new name.
WHO will ask people for ideas for the new name of the monkeypox virus
It should be noted that normally the authority to name viruses falls under the jurisdiction of WHO. However, the organization stated that it plans to get ideas from people for the name of this virus, which we call monkeypox. It was reported that the decision for this change was taken on the grounds that the current name may cause misunderstandings by international scientists and public health officials.
Stating that anyone who wants to suggest a new name for the disease can express their opinion, the organization says that this can be done through an online portal. It is stated that name suggestions can be made on the website of the International Classification Family (FIC), which is affiliated with WHO.
The variants have also been renamed
In addition to these, WHO also stated that it has made changes regarding the name of the monkeypox variants. Accordingly, monkeypox virus was discovered in 1958, when naming policies were not yet as good as they are now. At that time, variants of the virus were named according to the regions where it was concentrated. This type of application is not used at the moment, as it may lead to discrimination.
For this reason, the organization changed the name of these variants after many experts came together. According to the explanations, the names of the two variants, which were previously given Central Africa or Congo Basin and West Africa, were changed to Type I and Type II, respectively. The organization added that the viruses that emerge after that will not be given country names.
It is stated that more than 31,000 monkeypox viruses have been found worldwide since May. There are also studies showing that the virus is usually seen in gay or bisexual men. Symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, back and muscle pain, swelling in the lymph nodes, fatigue, and blisters on the skin.
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