世界衛生組織推薦猴痘病的新名稱
2022 年 11 月 28 日 / 新聞稿 / 世界衛生組織
圖片：世界衛生組織
在與全球專家進行一系列磋商後，世衛組織將開始使用一個新的首選術語“mpox”作為猴痘的同義詞。 這兩個名稱將同時使用一年，同時逐步淘汰“monkeypox”。
當今年早些時候猴痘疫情擴大時，網路上的種族主義和污名化語言，在某些環境和一些社區中被發現並向世衛組織報告了。 在幾次公開和非公開會議上，一些個人和國家提出了擔憂，並要求世衛組織提出更名的前進方向。
為新疾病和現有疾病命名是世衛組織的責任，係根據國際疾病分類 (International Classification of Diseases , ICD) 和世衛組織國際衛生相關分類家族透過包括世衛組織會員國在內的協商過程而命名。
世衛組織根據 ICD 更新過程舉行了磋商，收集一系列專家以及國家和公眾的意見，他們被邀請就新名稱提出建議。 基於這些磋商以及與世衛組織秘哥書長譚德塞博士的進一步討論，世衛組織提出以下建議：
• 採用該疾病的新英文同義詞mpox。
• 經過一年的過渡期後，Mpox 將成為首選術語，取代monkeypox。 這有助於減輕專家們對在全球爆發期間改名造成混淆的擔憂。 它還為完成 ICD 更新過程和更新 WHO 出版物提供了時間。
• 同義詞mpox 將在未來幾天內包含在ICD-10 線上版中。 它將成為 2023 年正式發布的 ICD-11 的一部分，ICD-11 是當前健康數據、臨床文檔和統計匯總的全球標準。
• 術語 “monkeypox” 仍將是 ICD 中的可搜索術語，以匹配歷史信息。
這些建議的考慮因素包括基本原理、科學適當性、當前使用的範圍、發音、不同語言的可用性、地理或動物學參考的缺失以及歷史科學信息的檢索便利性。
通常，ICD 更新過程可能需要長達數年的時間。 在這種情況下，雖然遵循標準步驟，但過程得到了加速。
在磋商過程中聽取了各種諮詢機構的意見，包括來自 45 個不同國家政府當局代表的醫學和科學以及分類和統計諮詢委員會的專家。
廣泛討論了以不同語言使用新名稱的問題。 首選術語 mpox 可用於其他語言。 如果出現其他命名問題，這些問題將通過相同的機制解決。 翻譯通常在與相關政府當局和相關科學協會的正式合作中進行討論。
世衛組織將在其通訊中採用 mpox 一詞，並鼓勵其他人遵循這些建議，以盡量減少當前名稱和採用新名稱的任何持續負面影響。
編者註：
有關疾病命名、引起疾病的病毒以及病毒變異株或進化枝的背景信息：
疾病命名：
• 人類猴痘於 1970 年命名（在 1958 年在圈養猴子中發現了引起該病的病毒之後），然後是 2015 年發布的世衛組織疾病命名最佳做法。根據這些最佳做法，新的疾病名稱命名的目的應該是盡量減少名稱對貿易、旅行、旅遊或動物福利的不必要的負面影響，並避免冒犯任何文化、社會、國家、地區、專業或種族群體。
• 根據國際疾病分類和世衛組織國際衛生相關分類家族（WHO-FIC），透過包括世衛組織會員國在內的協商過程，為新疾病和現有疾病（非常例外）指定新名稱是世衛組織的責任。 ICD 是 WHO 國際衛生相關分類家族中 (WHO-FIC) 的一部分。
病毒命名：
病毒的命名是國際病毒分類委員會（ICTV）的職責。 在 2022 年全球猴痘爆發之前，已經有一個過程正在重新考慮所有正痘病毒物種的命名，包括猴痘病毒。 這將在 ICTV 的領導下繼續進行。
命名猴痘病毒變種或進化枝：
8 月，由世衛組織召集的一組全球專家就猴痘病毒變異株的新名稱達成一致，這是使猴痘疾病、病毒和變異株（或進化枝）的名稱與當前最佳做法保持一致的持續努力的一部分。 達成共識，將前剛果盆地（中非）進化枝稱為進化枝一（I），將前西非進化枝稱為進化枝二（II）。 此外，大家一致認為 Clade II 由兩個子分支 IIa 和 IIb 組成。 請參閱世衛組織關於猴痘進化枝命名的新聞稿。
WHO recommends new name for monkeypox disease
WHO recommends new name for monkeypox disease
28 November 2022 / News release
Following a series of consultations with global experts, WHO will begin using a new preferred term “mpox” as a synonym for monkeypox. Both names will be used simultaneously for one year while “monkeypox” is phased out.
When the outbreak of monkeypox expanded earlier this year, racist and stigmatizing language online, in other settings and in some communities was observed and reported to WHO. In several meetings, public and private, a number of individuals and countries raised concerns and asked WHO to propose a way forward to change the name.
Assigning names to new and, very exceptionally, to existing diseases is the responsibility of WHO under the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and the WHO Family of International Health Related Classifications through a consultative process which includes WHO Member States.
WHO, in accordance with the ICD update process, held consultations to gather views from a range of experts, as well as countries and the general public, who were invited to submit suggestions for new names. Based on these consultations, and further discussions with WHO’s Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO recommends the following:
•Adoption of the new synonym mpox in English for the disease.
•Mpox will become a preferred term, replacing monkeypox, after a transition period of one year. This serves to mitigate the concerns raised by experts about confusion caused by a name change in the midst of a global outbreak. It also gives time to complete the ICD update process and to update WHO publications.
•The synonym mpox will be included in the ICD-10 online in the coming days. It will be a part of the official 2023 release of ICD-11, which is the current global standard for health data, clinical documentation and statistical aggregation.
•The term “monkeypox” will remain a searchable term in ICD, to match historic information.
Considerations for the recommendations included rationale, scientific appropriateness, extent of current usage, pronounceability, usability in different languages, absence of geographical or zoological references, and the ease of retrieval of historical scientific information.
Usually, the ICD updating process can take up to several years. In this case, the process was accelerated, though following the standard steps.
Various advisory bodies were heard during the consultation process, including experts from the medical and scientific and classification and statistics advisory committees which constituted of representatives from government authorities of 45 different countries.
The issue of the use of the new name in different languages was extensively discussed. The preferred term mpox can be used in other languages. If additional naming issues arise, these will be addressed via the same mechanism. Translations are usually discussed in formal collaboration with relevant government authorities and the related scientific societies.
WHO will adopt the term mpox in its communications, and encourages others to follow these recommendations, to minimize any ongoing negative impact of the current name and from adoption of the new name.
Note to editors
Background information on naming of the disease, the virus that causes the disease, and the virus variants or clades:
Naming the disease:
•Human monkeypox was given its name in 1970 (after the virus that causes the disease was discovered in captive monkeys in 1958), before the publication of WHO best practices in naming diseases, published in 2015. According to these best practices, new disease names should be given with the aim to minimize unnecessary negative impact of names on trade, travel, tourism or animal welfare, and avoid causing offence to any cultural, social, national, regional, professional or ethnic groups.
•Assigning new names to new and, very exceptionally, to existing diseases is the responsibility of WHO under the International Classification of Diseases and the WHO Family of International Health Related Classifications (WHO-FIC) through a consultative process which includes WHO Member States. ICD is part of the WHO Family of International Health Related Classifications (WHO-FIC).
Naming of viruses:
The naming of viruses is the responsibility of the International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). Prior to the 2022 global monkeypox outbreak, there was already a process underway to reconsider the naming of all orthopoxvirus species, including monkeypox virus. This will continue under ICTV leadership.
Naming monkeypox virus variants or clades:
In August, a group of global experts convened by WHO agreed on new names for monkeypox virus variants, as part of ongoing efforts to align the names of the monkeypox disease, virus and variants – or clades – with current best practices. Consensus was reached to refer to the former Congo Basin (Central African) clade as Clade one (I) and the former West African clade as Clade two (II). Additionally, it was agreed that the Clade II consists of two subclades, IIa and IIb. See WHO press release on naming of monkeypox clades.