Elderly man from Alaska's Kenai Peninsula died at the end of January. He was admitted to the hospital in November after an infection spread to his skin and he was unable to move his right arm.
The Alaskapox virus - like the monkeypox virus - is an orthopoxvirus and is mainly found in smaller mammals such as voles. So far the virus is only known from Alaska. Exactly how widespread it is and exactly how it is transmitted has not yet been researched.