Monkeypox received its name because the virus was originally identified in monkeys kept for research in Denmark in 1958, but the disease is found in a number of animals, most frequently in rodents.

A surge in monkeypox infections has been reported since early May among men who have sex with men outside the African countries where it has long been endemic.

"When the monkeypox outbreak spread earlier this year, racist and stigmatising language was observed and reported to WHO in some settings and communities," the United Nations health agency said in a statement.

"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."

The disease was first discovered in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the spread among humans since then mainly limited to certain West and Central African nations.

But in May, cases of the disease, which causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions, began spreading rapidly around the world.

 The WHO triggered its highest level of alarm on 24 July 2022, classifying it as a public health emergency of international concern, alongside Covid-19.

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