Health officials on Saturday said they have identified the first U.S. case of an mpox strain that has recently prompted global health alerts over concerns about its spread, severity and transmissibility.

The first U.S. case of a new form of mpox that was first seen in eastern Congo has been confirmed, health officials said. The person infected traveled to eastern Africa and was treated in Northern California upon return, according to the California Department of Public Health.

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