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Monkeypox name change corrects ‘historic mistake’, says virologist

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that monkeypox be renamed Mpox.

THE CNN Radio virologist Flavio da Fonseca said that the change is necessary, since “there is a historical error in the adoption of the nomenclature.”

“The virus was discovered in the 50’s affecting monkeys in a zoo in Europe, but they are just as affected as we are, even in Africa, they are rodents that pass on to monkeys and men”, he said.

According to him, the animal died due to this “pejorative and incorrect use of the name”: “There was a clamor among scientists for the change, in order to avoid stigmatization.”

Fonseca, who is the coordinator of CamaraPox, of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations, said that Brazil is “in the vaccine queue”, waiting for batches.

“We have few global producers, so there is the issue of a smaller supply of immunization”, he evaluated.

At the same time, he believes that the Ministry “mobilized itself to have autonomy in the production of the vaccine”, since it received the “seed batch.”

This batch seeks to “amplify and produce the compound nationally.”

“Brazil needs to regain this autonomy in the production of its own inputs because we live in a period conducive to the emergence of new diseases.”

About Mpox, the virologist says that there are waves, with “spikes of dissemination”, and moments of calm, but without the potential to become a pandemic.

Even so, he reinforces that the authorities must remain concerned and attentive.

*Produced by Isabel Campos

Source: CNN Brasil

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