MPX? Mpox? The struggle to replace 'monkeypox' with a name that isn't racist
Some people argue that the name is racist and disparages an entire continent. Others view it as offensive to gay men. And then there are those who fear it could lead to indiscriminate killing of monkeys, as happened in Brazil.
All that menace from one word: monkeypox.
As the threat from the disease spreads, experts around the world have pledged to change its name to something that doesn't carry the weight of stigma. No less an authority than the World Health Organization is holding an open forum to elicit suggestions for a new moniker.
"Monkeypox is kind of a strange name to give to a disease that's now afflicting humans," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government's leading expert on infectious diseases.
But tossing out the old name is easier than deciding on a new one.
Already, public health agencies, researchers and nonprofit organizations around the world have taken it upon themselves to abbreviate or shorten the controversial name. But at this point there is little agreement on what to call the around the world.
