An elderly man living in a remote region in southern Alaska has become the first person to die from a recently discovered viral disease known as Alaskapox.
The illness is believed to have been contracted from contact with small mammals, but US health officials have been quick to downplay fears of widespread person-to-person transmission.
What is Alaskapox?
Alaskapox, or AKPV, is a double-stranded DNA virus first discovered in 2015. According to the Alaska Division of Public Health , it belongs to group of viruses called orthopoxviruses, is related to smallpox, cowpox, and monkeypox, and “primarily occurs in small mammals”.
Symptoms include swollen lymph nodes and joint or muscle pain, with patients displaying one or more skin lesions that at first look like a spider or insect bite.
“We are not sure exactly how the virus spreads from animals to people but contact with small mammals and potentially domestic pets who come into contact with small wild mammals could play a role,” said the Alaska Health Department.