AUGUSTA, Maine (AP)  The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday that a coronavirus variant first identified in Brazil has been found in the state.

The agency said it found the variant via genome sequencing on positive COVID-19 molecular tests for Maine residents. This is the first time the variant has been found in Maine. It has been found elsewhere in the United States since being discovered in Minnesota in January.

Maine CDC said genome sequencing has also identified a total of 15 cases of a variant first identified in the United Kingdom and four cases of a variant first identified in South Africa.

Health authorities all over the country are keeping an eye out for variants of the coronavirus. Some have the ability to make a virus more contagious, deadly or resistant to vaccines and treatment.

The Maine CDC and other health authorities have advised that residents take typical pandemic precautions, such as mask wearing and seeking a coronavirus vaccine when eligible, as they continue to monitor the variants.