Update: Another case of the U.K variant was identified in Northwest Virginia, officials announced Wednesday, Feb. 3. The case involves an adult resident who recently returned from international travel, according to the state’s health department.

A release from the department states that three other cases of the U.K. variant have been confirmed in the Northern region of the state, bringing the state’s total U.K. variant cases to four.

Original: Maryland health officials confirmed Saturday that the South African variant of the coronavirus had been discovered in the state. The case involves an adult living in the Baltimore region who has not traveled, “making community transmission likely,” according to a release from Gov. Larry Hogan’s office.

The new strain, called the B.1.351 variant, made its first documented U.S. appearance on Jan. 28, when two cases were detected in South Carolina.

The Maryland Department of Health has confirmed the case with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hogan’s office said more research is needed to test how effective vaccines are against the new strain, “however, initial evidence suggests that vaccines are still likely to be protective.” Contact tracing on the case is underway.

The South African variant, like the U.K. variant of the virus, is believed to be more transmissible than other strains, but has not been shown to cause more severe illness.

The U.K. strain was found in Northern Virginia on Monday after it, too, was found in Maryland earlier in January.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam wrote that it was “not unexpected,” but showed the need for following public health measures.

The B.1.1.7 variant was identified and confirmed with sequencing technology that provides a genetic blueprint of the virus, a Virginia Department of Health official said.

“Viruses change all the time, and we expect to see new strains as disease spreads,” State Health Commissioner Dr. M. Norman Oliver said. “We know this variant strain spreads more quickly between people than other strains currently circulating in our communities, but we still have more to learn about whether it causes more severe illness.

Health and local officials are urging Virginians to be vigilant in wearing masks, practicing social distancing and contributing to contact tracing efforts.

The U.S. has reported at least 434 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant and at least two cases of the B.1.351 variant, along with at least one case of the P.1 variant first detected in Brazil, according to the CDC.

This story has been updated with information about a more contagious strain of virus found in Maryland.