The US government has lifted the public health emergency it declared for mpox — previously referred to as monkeypox — following a decline in new cases.
The government on January 31 ended the emergency it first declared in August 2022 for the viral infection that causes symptoms such as fever and a rash.
Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that as of Wednesday, the US has reported the largest number of mpox cases in the world, at a little over 30,000.
But new cases in the country have been declining from the peak in August last year, when over 400 were being reported daily on average. Since the start of this year, average daily cases have been below 10.
The CDC continues to recommend vaccination against mpox for all individuals at risk.
The World Health Organization says the number of mpox cases globally has significantly dropped from the peak.
But some countries are reporting an upward trend. The WHO is keeping in place its declaration, issued in July last year, designating mpox as a public health emergency of international concern.
