The recombinant COVID-19 omicron variant XE, first identified in the United Kingdom, has been detected in Hawaii, according to the state Department of Health.

DOH’s State Laboratories Division, in its latest variant report, confirmed one case of XE — which contains genetic material derived from the variants BA.1 and BA.2 — on Oahu after sequencing a specimen collected in March.

“Viruses constantly evolve,” said DOH in a statement. “The delta variant mutated into dozens of subvariants. There are now several subvariants of omicron. While there are indications the XE variant may be more transmissible than BA.2, more information is needed before we know the significance of the XE subvariant.”

The World Health Organization is monitoring XE, believed to be about 10% more transmissible than BA.2, according to infectious disease epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove, and has found it circulating in several countries.

Various news sources have reported its presence in Canada, India, Thailand, and Japan.

“We haven’t seen a major change in the epidemiology with the exception of an increase in transmissibility of about 10%,” said Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead for COVID-19 response, during a live Q&A this morning. “It’s about 10% more, that’s a slight increase. We haven’t seen a change in severity.”

Kerkhove said COVID-19 vaccines remain incredibly protective against severe disease and deaths.

A recombinant variant occurs when an individual becomes infected with two or more variants at the same time, resulting in a mixing of their genetic material within the patient’s body, according to the UK Health Security Agency.

“This is not an unusual occurrence and several recombinant SARS-CoV-2 variants have been identified over the course of the pandemic,” said the UKSA in a news release.

XE is a recombinant lineage of BA.1 and BA.2, with the majority of its genome, including the gene encoding for the spike protein, coming from BA.2, the report said.

Omicron now accounts for 100% of all variants circulating in Hawaii, including 11 sublineages, according to the report.

BA.2 now makes up 70% of new COVID-19 cases in Hawaii, up from 40% two weeks earlier.

Its presence continues to grow in all four major counties, with 124 confirmed cases in Honolulu County, 46 in Maui County, 28 in Hawaii County, and nine on Kauai County.

Nearly 200 cases, formerly listed as BA.2, were also reclassified as BA.2.3 due to designation updates.

DOH conducts whole genome sequencing on a fraction of positive test specimens collected statewide every week, and publishes a variant report every two weeks.