'Monkeypox' is RACIST to Africa! WHO to rename disease after backlash

'Monkeypox' is RACIST to Africa! WHO to rename disease after backlash
A technician tests suspected monkeypox samples at the microbiology lab of La Paz Hospital on June 6, in Madrid, Spain (Pablo Dominguez/Getty Images)

Monkeypox is set to be renamed after an international backlash called for a new "non-discriminatory and non-stigmatizing" term for the disease. A new name for the rash-causing virus which is endemic to Africa would be announced "as soon as possible," the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement.

Reports stated that aside from renaming the actual pathogen, its strains will also be "lettered" so as to remove any mention of the parts of Africa where they were first recorded. At least 30 researchers signed a position paper last week highlighting an "urgent need" to change the name in the wake of the current outbreak, which has mostly affected gay and bisexual men. The disease has already spread to 45 countries, including the UK, the US, Spain, and Portugal.

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