WHO: New Monkeypox Variant Names & Accept Name Change Proposals

A group of global experts convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) last week 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. The new naming convention comprises Clade I, Clade IIa and Clade IIb, with the latter referring primarily to the group of variants largely circulating in the 2022 global outbreak. The new names for the clades should go into effect immediately while work continues on the disease and virus names. Plus, WHO is holding an open consultation for a new disease name for monkeypox. Anyone wishing to propose new names can do so here.