Disease Name Reversal: US CDC Returns to ‘Monkeypox‘ After Global Shift to ‘Mpox‘
Washington D.C. - In a surprising move, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reverted to using the term “monkeypox” to describe the disease, despite a global effort led by the World Health Institution (WHO) to adopt the name “mpox.” The change, first reported by NPR, comes after a period where the CDC and many international health organizations aligned with the WHO’s renaming initiative.
The WHO announced in November 2022 its decision to transition to “mpox,” citing reports of ”racist and stigmatizing language online, in other settings, and in some communities” associated with the original name. The agency implemented a one-year grace period for the change. The WHO clarified that assigning disease names falls under its purview through the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and related classifications, done via consultation with member states.
However, the WHO’s authority is limited to disease names, not virus names. The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses retains the power to name viruses and has not altered the name of the virus itself.
Following the WHO’s guidance, the CDC updated its websites and health materials to reflect the new “mpox” terminology. Now, the CDC website has reverted to using “monkeypox.”
When questioned about the shift, the Department of Health and human Services (which includes the CDC) has offered only the statement, “Monkeypox is the name of the viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus,” a response critics point out is technically inaccurate given the WHO’s naming convention.
