monkeypox infection started with just a handful of cases in early May, but now it has escalated into a global public health emergency, according to news agency Bloomberg.
However, a report issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that 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.
The U.N. health agency reported 5,907 new weekly cases and said two countries, Iran and Indonesia, reported their first cases.
Cases in the Americas accounted for 60% of cases in the past month, WHO said, while cases in Europe comprised about 38%. It said infections in the Americas showed “a continuing steep rise." The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the continent had 219 new cases reported in the past week, a jump of 54%, most were in Nigeria and Congo, the agency said.