What is Alaskapox? The newly-found viral disease that has already ...

Health officials in Alaska have confirmed the first death from a newly found viral disease, Alaskapox. An elderly immunocompromised man from the Kenai peninsula in the south of Anchorage was the first victim of the viral disease. 

Here's everything you need to know about Alaskapox, its symptoms and its treatment. 

First identified in an adult in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 2015, Alaskapox is a double-stranded-DNA virus which comes from the same genus as smallpox, monkeypox, and cowpox. It is the most common in small mammals. 

According to the State of Alaska's website, "To date, no human-to-human transmission of Alaskapox virus has been documented. However, since certain orthopoxviruses can be transmitted through direct contact with skin lesions, we recommend that people with skin lesions possibly caused by Alaskapox keep the affected area covered with a bandage."

It adds, "Symptoms of Alaskapox have included one or more skin lesions (bumps or pustules) and other symptoms like swollen lymph nodes and joint and/or muscle pain. Immunocompromised people might be at increased risk for more severe illness."

The official website of the Alaska Division of Public Health says, "Nearly all patients had mild illnesses that resolved on their own after a few weeks. There has been one patient with an immunocompromising condition that developed severe disease and died after prolonged illness."

The man was among the only seven people infected with Alaskapox. "People should not necessarily be concerned but more aware," said Julia Rogers, a state epidemiologist, reported New York Post. 

"So we're hoping to make clinicians more aware of what Alaskapox virus is so that they can identify signs and symptoms," she added. 

In the deceased man's case, it took several months to diagnose the fatal case. As per the authorities, the patient's immunocompromised condition might have led to his death. However, it is still unclear how he contracted the disease.

Doctors speculate that he might've contracted Alaskapox from the cat he lived up to, as he lived alone in the woods and did not travel recently. The symptoms began after the cat, which often hunted small mammals, scratched him. Although the cat tested negative for the virus, health officials believe it spread from its claws. 

In December, the health officials ran some tests on the man and initially detected cowpox. However, after additional testing, the Centers for Disease Control revealed it was Alaskapox.

(With inputs from agencies)