Alaska Reports First Fatality From Rare Virus Known as Alaskapox

The virus was first discovered in 2015.

A health care professional prepares to enter a patient's room in a file photo. Megan Jelinger/AFP via Getty Images

Health officials in Alaska reported the first known fatal case of Alaskapox, a virus that was first identified in 2015, identifying the victim as an elderly man.

The man lived in Kenai Peninsula, a large peninsula that juts from the coast of southern Alaska and also is located south of Anchorage. He died in January from the virus, officials said.