Cases of monkeypox in some major US cities appear to be declining, matching trends in Europe, and experts are cautiously optimistic that the outbreak may have peaked in the places hardest hit by the virus.
The World Health Organization said earlier Thursday that reported monkeypox cases globally fell by 21 percent last week, after a month-long trend that saw infections increase, but it indicated that cases in the United States continued to rise.
However, some American experts believe that infections began to decline based largely on immunity from previous infections and behavioral changes as awareness of the disease grew. They warned that this does not mean that the disease is contained.
Since late May, the United States has recorded nearly 17,000 cases of monkeypox. The disease, which has so far reached 80 countries outside of endemic Africa, is largely among gay and bisexual men.
Rarely, monkeypox, which is spread through close contact with an infected person and the pus-filled sores common to this disease, is fatal.
Currently, infections appear to be declining in some of the major US cities hardest hit by the outbreak.
Data that tracks monkeypox infections in San Francisco and Chicago shows that cases have begun to decline over the past few weeks.