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

British health officials say they have identified four cases of the new, more infectious version of mpox that first emerged in Congo, marking the first time the variant has caused a cluster of illness outside of Africa.

The African health agency says that Rwanda has started a vaccination campaign against mpox with 1,000 doses it obtained from Nigeria.

The global vaccine alliance Gavi says it will buy 500,000 doses of vaccine against mpox to fight outbreaks of the disease in African countries.

A leading African scientist says the growing mpox outbreaks in Africa that triggered the World Health Organization’s emergency declaration are largely the result of decades of neglect and the global community’s inability to stop sporadic epidemics among a population with little immunity against the smallpox-related disease.

Congo has recorded 1,030 of the 1,405 new mpox cases in Africa over the last week.

South African health authorities say two people have died this week after contracting mpox, and it appears there is local transmission of the disease.

Scientists say a new form of mpox detected in a mining town in Congo might more easily spread among people.

The Virginia Department of Health has reported a recent increase in mpox cases in Virginia.

The Republic of Congo has recorded its first cases of mpox in several regions.

Government health advisers say gay and bisexual men at high risk for mpox infection should get vaccinated for the virus even after the current outbreak ends.

Africa’s public health body says it hopes Mpox vaccines will finally arrive on the continent “in another two weeks, tops” after months of seeking doses.

Mpox is no longer the exploding health crisis that it appeared to be less than six months ago.

The Virginia Department of Health has announced the first death in the Commonwealth associated with Monkeypox, now referred to as “Mpox.”