In a puzzling move under the Trump administration, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has quietly abandoned the widely accepted term "mpox," reverting to the outdated and globally deprecated "monkeypox." This decision flies in the face of a 2022 international consensus, which saw health organizations globally shift to "mpox" due to the original name's racist and stigmatizing connotations.
Mpox is the designated name for the illness caused by the Orthopoxvirus monkeypox, a pathogen related to smallpox and cowpox. This virus gained significant global attention in recent years, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare international public health emergencies in both 2022 and 2024 as outbreaks spread worldwide.
Health officials became keenly aware of the problematic nature of the term "monkeypox" during these surges. The name originated in 1958 when the virus was first identified in captive Asian monkeys shipped to Denmark. It was initially presumed that monkeys were the primary hosts. However, subsequent research and outbreaks have revealed that the virus infects a diverse range of animals, with evidence strongly suggesting that African rodents, particularly squirrels, are the more likely natural carriers, not monkeys, rendering the original name scientifically inaccurate.
Beyond its scientific inaccuracy, the term carried significant social weight. Historically, "monkey" has been used as a derogatory slur against Black individuals. Furthermore, the 2022 outbreak disproportionately affected sexual networks of men who have sex with men, triggering comparisons to the discrimination and prejudice prevalent during the early years of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Healthcare workers on the front lines reported encountering a disturbing mix of racist and homophobic abuse.
Responding to these serious concerns, the WHO officially changed the disease name to "mpox" in November 2022. The United Nations health agency cited widespread reports of "racist and stigmatizing language" encountered online and in various communities. They granted a one-year transition period for the global health community to adopt the new name, underscoring their authority to name diseases under the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).
It's important to note that while the WHO holds the authority to name diseases, the power to name viruses rests with the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). The virus itself continues to be officially known as "monkeypox virus." Nonetheless, the global health community, including the US CDC initially, adopted "mpox" for the disease designation, updating their websites and public health information accordingly.
However, this month saw the CDC reverse course, reinstating "monkeypox" without public explanation. This change was initially brought to light by NPR. When queried about the decision, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees the CDC, offered a terse and misleading statement: "Monkeypox is the name of the viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus," which conflates the disease and virus names, and ignores the globally recognized reasons for the nomenclature change.
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Originally published at: https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/09/trumps-cdc-brings-back-monkeypox-disease-name-despite-racist-connotation/
