Urgent need for a non-discriminatory and non-stigmatizing nomenclature for monkeypox virus.
Happi C., Adetifa I., Mbala P., Njouom R., Nakoune E., Happi A., Ndodo N., Ayansola O., Mboowa G., Bedford T., Neher RA., Roemer C., Hodcroft E., Tegally H., O'Toole Á., Rambaut A., Pybus O., Kraemer MUG., Wilkinson E., Isidro J., Borges V., Pinto M., Gomes JP., Freitas L., Resende PC., Lee RTC., Maurer-Stroh S., Baxter C., Lessells R., Ogwell AE., Kebede Y., Tessema SK., de Oliveira T.
We propose a novel, non-discriminatory classification of monkeypox virus diversity. Together with the World Health Organization, we named three clades (I, IIa and IIb) in order of detection. Within IIb, the cause of the current global outbreak, we identified multiple lineages (A.1, A.2, A.1.1 and B.1) to support real-time genomic surveillance.