Contents
Scientists believe that referring diseases to geographical places, but also to animals, stigmatizes. Therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) intends to establish a new name for monkey pox in order not to discriminate against anyone and not create unnecessary confusion.
- A constant number of cases of monkey pox is recorded in Central and West Africa. It is an endemic disease
- In Europe, the first case of monkey pox, after a long hiatus, was confirmed on May 7, 2022 in Great Britain
- In Poland, the first patient was diagnosed on June 10
- The name itself is misleading, because the disease is transmitted mainly by small mammals, such as squirrels, rats. It also spreads from person to person in close contact
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
Monkey pox – where does the name come from?
Monkey pox (monkeypox) is a viral infectious zoonotic disease. The name itself actually comes from the monkeys – macaques, in which it was detected in 1958. The animals came to the Danish laboratory from Singapore. They were to be the subject of research on a polio vaccine.
“Urgent need” to change the name of the disease
The World Health Organization wants to change the name of this disease. This is in response to an open letter from 30 scientists who see an “urgent need” to change the language around the monkey pox virus. They indicate that it may discriminate against the inhabitants of Africa, because their images are constantly appearing in the media in the context of current cases in Europe or the USA. In addition, it refers to the fact that the disease is mainly characteristic of the tropical rainforests of Central and West Africa (endemia).
Naukowcy napisali w swoim liście, że nadarzyła się właśnie dobra okazja do zerwania z tą nazwą. Podkreślają też, że «nazewnictwo, które jest neutralne, niedyskryminujące i niestygmatyzujące, będzie bardziej odpowiednie dla globalnej społeczności medycznej”.
The rest of the text below the video.
WHO officials have already informed that the change will affect the names of clades, strains and genotypes of the monkey pox virus, such as the “West African clade”. It should be announced “as soon as possible,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director General.
As of June 8, more than 1285 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection had already been registered in four regions where monkey pox was absent or not previously reported. This mainly applies to Europe and North America.
Ospa małpia w pigułce
The virus of this disease belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus of the Poxviridae family. It has little to do with chicken pox. It is closer to a more dangerous variety – smallpox, which was eliminated (eradicated) in the world at the beginning of the 80s.
There are two distinct genetic clades of the monkey pox virus – the Central African (Congo Basin) clade and the West African clade.
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It usually takes 6 to 13 days from infection to the onset of disease symptoms. Symptoms include fever, a characteristic rash, and enlarged lymph nodes. Most of the disease is mild. It is fatal for one in 10 infected.
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