The monkeypox outbreak may be peaking in some places. Here’s what we know — and why the coming months will be crucial. Wastewater data from a few major cities suggests monkeypox may have already peaked in some areas of the US. Outbreaks in New York City and San Francisco have stopped growing, though there are still many new cases. It''s too early to put monkeypox in the rearview mirror, but testing and vaccinations are ramping up. There are some early signals that monkeypox may be slowing down in areas of the US, after infecting more than 18,900 people across the US in barely three months. Wastewater data , case counts , and reported sexual activity patterns all suggest this outbreak may be turning a corner. Cristin Young, an epidemiologist who''s studying monkeypox for the private wastewater company Biobot , says it''s a little too early to say for sure that cases are declining across the entire US. Disease rates will likely continue to "vary widely" based on local availability of tests, vaccines, and education, she told Insider. Some cities are showing promising signs of turning a corner There are promising signs popping up in San Francisco , New York , San Diego , and other hard-hit areas of the country showing that both case numbers and wastewater levels of the virus are plateauing, and in some cases, declining. (Monkeypox case rates are also slowing down in other hard-hit countries around the world, including France, Germany, Spain, Portugal and the UK, leading the World Health Organization to argue that elimination of the virus is still possible across Europe .) In Los Angeles, Dr.