The 'Mu' variant is beginning to rise in America, posing a new threat during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mu was first discovered in Colombia in January, and has since been detected in 41 countries, including the U.S. and the U.K.
The strain is now starting to be found across America, and has appeared in nearly every single state in the U.S. - 49 of 50 with Nebraska being the outlier.
Scientists fear the variant could be the most dangerous to spring up yet, as it could be more contagious than the Delta variant and also be able to evade vaccines.
It also begins to reach the nation just as the Delta variant surge looks like it could be nearing its end.
Mu is still far from dominant in the nation, though, accounting for less than one percent of total cases.
The Mu variant has made its way to the United States, though it has never accounted for more than 1.5% of total cases
Florida is one of the leaders in Mu variant cases, having detected 384, though they still remain relatively minor among total cases
California is also among the leaders in Mu cases, with half of cases being detected in Los Angeles alone
The strain was discovered in South America eight months ago, but was not labeled with a Greek letter name and declared a variant of interest by the World Health Organization (WHO) until August 30.
In the time since, the variant as quickly worked its way across the U.S.
The new strain still accounts for an insignificant portion of cases in America at the moment, though it will be a worry for public health officials going forward.
Florida and California have been hardest hit by the variant, with 384 cases so far in each.
Los Angeles is the county that has had the most trouble with the variant, with 167 cases of the variant - half of all cases in the state.
Director of LA County Public Health Barbara Ferrer said in a statement: 'The identification of variants like Mu, and the spreading of variants across the globe, highlights the need for L.A. County residents to continue to take measures to protect themselves and others.
'This is what makes getting vaccinated and layering protections so important. These are actions that break the chain of transmission and limits COVID-19 proliferation that allows for the virus to mutate into something that could be more dangerous.'
Alaska previously had the highest number of Mu variant cases with 146. That represented four percent of all cases recorded in the isolated state.
Other U.S. states have also shared their Mu numbers, with 42 in Maine, 73 in Connecticut and 39 in Hawaii.
Dr. Anthony Fauci also commented on the Mu variant claiming that it would not be the next dominant COVID strain.
'Even though it has not in essence taken hold to any extent here we always pay attention to at all times variants,' he said.
'We don't consider it an immediate threat right now.'
The WHO is more worried about the variant, though.
