New monkeypox cases decline: The latest health and well-being news

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported a drop in the number of monkeypox infections reported globally in the week beginning 15 August. Cases were down 21%, while overall more than 41,000 cases and 12 deaths have been reported in the current outbreak.

The WHO then said on 30 August that it is possible to eliminate the monkeypox outbreak in Europe, highlighting evidence that case counts are slowing in some affected countries.

It comes as Texas reported the US' first monkeypox death on 30 August. The death was in a severely immunocompromised person.

Moderna is seeking US authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine booster shot against the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron. It comes after the UK approved the bivalent booster candidate.

The British scientists behind one of the major therapeutic COVID-19 trials have turned their focus to treatments for monkeypox. The Oxford University team behind the so-called RECOVERY trial – which honed in on four effective COVID treatments – unveiled a new trial on 23 August, dubbed PLATINUM, to confirm whether SIGA Technologies' tecovirimat is an effective treatment for monkeypox.

Health officials identified the virus that causes polio in New York City's wastewater in early August, suggesting local transmission of the virus. Authorities urged unvaccinated New Yorkers to get vaccinated. Read more about polio in this Reuters' explainer.

A new viral infection referred to as tomato flu and first detected in children in the southern Indian state of Kerala in May has spread to two other states. Scientists are still working to identify exactly what the virus is, UK newspaper The Guardian reports.

A new vaccine against Lyme disease has reached the third phase of a clinical study in humans. If this stage is successful, the companies behind the jab would likely seek official authorization in 2025. It would become the only Lyme disease vaccine available for humans in the US.

A new study suggests that small amounts of daily activity might be more beneficial than longer periods of exercise less regularly.

A major new study has found that smoking, drinking alcohol, being overweight and other risk factors are responsible for around 44% of all cancer deaths worldwide.

A new report from the WHO and UNICEF has found that half of healthcare facilities around the world lack basic hygiene services, such as water and soap or alcohol-based hand rub where patients receive care.

Data on adults in China has found that a reduction of just 1 gram in daily salt intake could prevent 9 million cases of stroke and heart attack by the end of the decade.

New research suggests that leisure, social and learning activities can help people ward off the cognitive declines associated with Alzheimer's disease.

A new study of 375 human diseases has found that 218 could be made worse by climate change.