State public health officials said Wednesday that they will avoid using the term monkeypox when possible going forward, referring to the virus instead as MPX.
The California Public Health Department said it will refer to the virus as monkeypox on first reference in written communication and the abbreviation, pronounced M-pox, on all further references. State officials will also call the virus MPX when speaking.
“California’s Department of Public Health is aware of concerns of stigma associated with the name monkeypox, including racist connotations,” state Public Health Officer and CDPH Director Dr. Tomas Aragon said. “As such, CDPH has switched to using the acronym MPX while the World Health Organization explores renaming the disease.”
The WHO issued a set of best practices in 2015 for the naming of diseases, recommending that geographic locations, people’s names, species of animal or food and cultural, population or occupational references be avoided in the colloquial names of viruses and diseases.
“This may seem like a trivial issue to some, but disease names really do matter to the people who are directly affected,” Dr. Keiji Fukuda, a WHO assistant director-general from 2009-2016, said in 2015.
“We’ve seen certain disease names provoke a backlash against members of particular religious or ethnic communities, create unjustified barriers to travel, commerce and trade, and trigger needless slaughtering of food animals,” Fukuda said.
As of Wednesday. 3,065 probable and confirmed MPX cases have been reported statewide, including in all 11 counties in the greater Bay Area.
San Francisco continues to have the second-most reported cases in the state at 656.
What a bizarre thing to do. Shows what a bunch of ding-a-lings run these institutions. Maybe we should start posting here using nothing but acronyms so they have to figure them out. 🎃
LOL!
Yep, this is what I expect our government money to be spent on – worrying about people being stigmatized because they caught MONKEYpox. You cannot make this stuff up.
O California, you were once a great state … today … not-so-much.
Like we are going to forget the real name.
The Names Have Benn Changed To Protect The innocent
How absurd! If the state is going to rename MonkeyPox, then why did they pick MPX? Typically politically correct illogical renaming coming from WHO and adopted by the California-Euro wannabes. More BS from the Ministry of Truth
in Sacramento. Absolutely insane.
Who is offended here?
Do you really think monkeys care?
….. Well who knows, maybe monkeys would be offended to be compared to Californians!
I’m shocked!
@Snakekeeper…so is Mr.Gabriel…
https://youtu.be/0OTZPUbzD_E
This song has been in my head lately and I was wondering why,but it’s hearing the word monkey so much I guess.
@James…..That’s almost as bad as me with this childhood ditty…”Monkey see, monkey do, monkey pee all over you”….strange how people’s minds work.
What a PC joke Woke.
How does monkeypox in any way have racial connotations?!?
I mean what exactly are they trying to say here?
Nowadays, according to the liberals, anything that is said is definitely racist.
MPX sounds like a nerve gas.
Can you imagine what the “consultant” who presented this idea takes home annually?
Sounds like Dr. Keiji Fukuda is in need of a name change. I’m offended of such language. 🙂
🤦what was I thinking~~🚫🙈🙉🙊… oops.
Now when they refer to MPX… Some will think they’re “investing” our tax $$ in MPX Cannabis. Some may think of MPX Sub-machine guns… others, secret MPX communications about citizens between insurance companies… then again… 😉
Kinda like changing the meaning of the word “Marriage” or the word “Recession” to make it something it isn’t.
The state creating racism where none previously existed.
OMG
Does this mean we can’t monkey around any more?
Yep, no more monkeyshines.
I find it amazing that scientists know full well what the ‘missing link’ is but are not allowed to reveal it,because it could be offensive to some.
Fct.
What’s racist about Monkeypox? Does the Woke & Cancel Culture folks not have enough to do?
I think CDPH Director Dr. Tomas Aragon should apologize and resign for even thinking that the reference to a “Monkey” could be misconstrued as a racist connotation! I’d like to have him explain to me just which race or races would find the word “Monkey” offensive?
Swine Flu
Chicken Pox
Bird Flu
Anyone offended by those ?
Dr Jelly, I heard that dwarves are offended by smallpox.
That what I was wondering above….Just what is Dr. Aragon implying here? To whom would “Monkey Pox” be racially offensive to?
I think he should certainly have to explain what he is implying and explain why he feels the way he does.
@ Dawg ~ LoL! Wish I’d thought of that one.
The state can call it what it wants.
It’s still Monkey Pox to me and spread mostly by gay men.
It’s their choice for a life style, some choices come at a price.
Monkeypox Monkeypox Monkeypox
Rumpypox Rumpypox Rumpypox
They are basically saying “ we know some people refer to black people as monkeys…”.
That’s like saying we are going to rename crackers because there are racist people in the world somewhere.
Nope. Monkeypox and Wuhan virus all the way.
Actually, it’s more stigmatizing to monkeys than anything else. Look what it did to chickens. I say protect the monkeys at all costs!
Can monkeypox get you out of jury duty?
Asking for a friend.