Health officials have confirmed a U.S. case of an aggressive new form of mpox, detected in northern California in someone who had recently traveled to eastern Africa, per the California Department of Public Health.

Health officials in the United States are on alert following the confirmation of a severe case of mpox, a disease characterized by a painful rash. The infected individual had recently returned from Africa,

The patient was traveling from East Africa, where the mpox disease is endemic. The CDC says the strain does not present a high risk to the general population.