Two outbreaks of mpox in sub-Saharan Africa are raising concerns about the continued spread of the virus globally — and the surge of a deadlier strain than the one that began circling the globe in 2022.

That outbreak sickened nearly 100,000 people, with 203 deaths. It eventually slowed down, but mpox never went away. Formerly called monkeypox and caused by the monkeypox virus, mpox continues cropping up across the globe, from France to Mexico. In May, 26 countries reported a total of 646 new cases and 15 deaths.

The biggest share of new cases right now is in Africa.

Last week, the World Health Organization called attention to an mpox outbreak in South Africa. Officials there confirmed 20 cases between May 8 and July 2, with 18 hospitalizations and three deaths.