The New York State Department of Health on Tuesday confirmed its first case of the new mpox strain, adding to the global concerns over the spread of the little-known variant.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were three confirmed cases in the country caused by the clade Ib strain: in California, Georgia, and New Hampshire. The agency said the three cases were not linked.

The World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years in August after an outbreak of the viral infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighboring countries.

The New York State Department of Health declined to provide further information on the case.