Monkeypox Needs a New Name, and WHO Looks to Public for Ideas

The World Health Organization is asking for the public’s help in renaming the monkeypox virus, part of an ongoing effort to discourage harmful misconceptions associated with the current name.

“WHO is holding an open consultation for a new disease name for monkeypox. Anyone wishing to propose new names can do so,” the organization said in a statement.

Assigning names to viruses normally falls under WHO jurisdiction, but the organization is allowing people to submit ideas through an online portal, according to the statement. The announcement comes nearly twomonths after the WHO said it was planning to rename the ...