Health officials say they have confirmed the first U.S. case of a new form of mpox that was first seen in eastern Congo.

Summary

U.S. health officials confirmed the first case of a new form of mpox in a traveler who returned from eastern Africa.

Treated in Northern California, the individual is isolating at home with improving symptoms, and the public risk is deemed low.

This form of mpox, first identified in eastern Congo, spreads through close contact, including sexual transmission.

While endemic in parts of Africa, over 3,100 cases have recently been reported, primarily in Burundi, Uganda, and Congo.