The United States’ first known case of a more severe strain of mpox was confirmed in California, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Saturday. The risk of clade I mpox to the public remains low,

Health officials on Saturday said they've identified the first person in the U.S. infected with an mpox strain that has recently prompted global health alerts over concerns about its spread, severity and transmissibility.

There is no evidence that the strain is spreading in California or the U.S., and the risk of contracting Clade I mpox in the U.S. remains low.

The California Department of Health confirmed on Saturday the first case of clade I mpox in the United States. The first confirmed case of clade I mpox is in California after the health department conducted laboratory testing on the individual.

The unidentified patient had recently returned from Africa, where the virus has caused a deadly epidemic, health officials said.