New outbreak of mpox in Anchorage prompts advisory from state health officials

A rare viral disease has emerged in an outbreak in Alaska’s largest city that appears to be expanding, state health officials report. There are now four new cases in Anchorage of mpox, a viral disease formerly called monkeypox that is spread through close contact and can be fatal. None of the patients reported traveling outside the state in month-long period before becoming infected. It is the highest number of annual mpox cases in Alaska since 2022, when five cases were diagnosed in the state amid a global outbreak. Between 2023 and 2025, there were only two Alaska cases. Three of the Anchorage cases emerged in October and were reported last week through a state Department of Health alert intended to raise awareness in the public and among healthcare providers. The fourth case was reported to state officials on Thursday, said Dr. Joe McLaughlin, Alaska’s state epidemiologist.

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