A vial containing the monkeypox vaccine is seen on July 23, 2022, in London, England. Picture: by Hollie Adams/Getty Images
Monkeypox case numbers in the United Kingdom may have started to level off, British health officials said Friday.
Driving the news: Early signs show that the outbreak is plateauing in the region, with 2,859 confirmed cases reported since May, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
Go deeper: Health officials estimated last month that the outbreak was doubling in the region every two weeks, according to the Associated Press.
- But in recent weeks, the number of new infections has dropped.
- Analyses of the current U.K. outbreak shows that monkeypox continues to be transmitted "primarily in interconnected sexual networks of gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men," British health officials said.
- Still, there have been a small number of women confirmed to have monkeypox, the agency said. 99% of all U.K. cases are in men, with only 22 cases identified in women.
What they're saying: "While the most recent data suggests the growth of the outbreak has slowed, we cannot be complacent," Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections at the UK Health Security Agency, said.
- "Be vigilant of and check yourself for monkeypox symptoms, including rashes and blisters," Chand added.
Meanwhile: The United States declared monkeypox a public health emergency just a day earlier.
- The World Health Organization declared monkeypox a global emergency late last month.
- Monkeypox has spread to more than 70 countries in the recent outbreak.
Go deeper ... What you need to know about the monkeypox vaccine