In February, Alaska recorded the first death from what was then referred to as Alaskapox. The disease has been known in the Great Land since at least 2015, and until the Kenai Peninsula fatality, was not considered a particularly high risk.
Previously on RedState: Alaska Dept. of Health Confirms First Fatal Case of Alaskapox
Earlier in March, Joseph McLaughlin, Alaska’s state epidemiologist, expressed concern that the name “Alaskapox” could be problematic for a state whose economy is heavily reliant on tourism. The concern is not without precedent.
McLaughlin said that when he and his colleagues originally named the virus, the moniker “Alaskapox” “didn’t raise any red flags” due to the small number of mild cases.
“We had no idea that it would generate so much interest outside of Alaska,” McLaughlin said.
Scientists have been increasingly sensitive to virus names in…
