WHO: Monkeypox cases drop 21%, reversing month-long increase

The number of monkeypox cases reported globally dropped by 21% in the last week, reversing a month-long trend of rising infections and a possible signal the outbreak in Europe may be starting to decline, according to a World Health Organization report.

The UN health agency reports 5,907 new weekly cases and says two countries, Iran and Indonesia, reported their first cases. To date, more than 45,000 cases have been reported in 98 countries since late April.

Cases in the Americas accounted for 60% of cases in the past month, WHO says, while cases in Europe comprised about 38%. It says infections in the Americas show “a continuing steep rise.”