title: A flu by any other name: why the World Health Organization should adopt the World Meteorological Association's storm naming system as a model for naming emerging infectious diseases.
abstract: This article explores the factors that contributed to the use of different names for H1N1 by diverse actors in the early stages of the pandemic of 2009 and discusses the implications of inconsistent naming practices for the public's understanding of the virus and the credibility of scientists and health authorities. The authors propose a naming protocol for novel variants modeled after the World Meteorological Association's practice for naming weather events, a model that would enable accurate transmission of technical information among experts and provide a stable name for public use, even in the context of incomplete or changing scientific understanding of the nature of the pathogen.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schein
authors.forename: Sand
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bruls
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: Kumanan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Larry
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hershfield
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Keelan
mesh_terms: D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging; D058015:Health Communication / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology; D008685:Meteorological Concepts; D058873:Pandemics; D015980:Public Health Practice; D013240:Stereotyping; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D035502:Trust; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014944:World Health Organization / Q000458:organization & administration*