A MYSTERIOUS virus dubbed ‘Alaskapox’ has claimed it’s first victim.
An elderly man living Alaska‘s Kenai Peninsula died in late January this year while undergoing treatment in hospital.
GettyAn elderly man living Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula died in January after contracting Alaskapox[/caption]
The virus causes lesions similar to spider bites – this shows an Alaskapox lesion about 10 days after symptoms startedAlaska Department of Health
Alaska Department of HealthThe elderly patient noticed a red bump in his armpit in September last year – this is about three days after his symptoms started[/caption]
Eight weeks later he was suffering from swelling in the areaAlaska Department of Health
Alaskapox belongs to a group of viruses called orthopox viruses, which infect mammals and cause skin lesions. It’s in the same family as smallpox, cowpox and mpox (formerly monkey pox).
It was first identified only nine years ago in 2015, after a woman living near Fairbanks developed a rash and swollen lymph nodes – these are glands located in the groin, armpits and neck that help the body recognise and fight germs.
Since then, six more infections from the virus have been reported, with just one of these outside of the Fairbanks region.
Most suffered only mild infections and didn’t require treatment.
The victim from Kenai Peninsula is the only person to suffer severe symptoms and be hospitalised with Alaskapox so far, the Alaskan health department reported.
As he had a weakened immune system due to cancer treatment, medics suggested this might have contributed to the severity of his illness and eventual death.
The man first spotted a red bump in his armpit in September 2023 and was prescribed courses of antibiotics after he visited the emergency department.
But his symptoms worsened as he suffered from fatigue and increasing pain in his armpit and shoulder.
The man was eventually hospitalised on November 17 after the range of motion in his right arm was impacted.
After being transferred to a hospital in Anchorage, the patient began suffering from “severe burning pain”, the health department report noted.
Medics also noted “four smaller pox-like lesions” in different parts of his body.
They performed “an extensive battery of laboratory tests” to identify the source of the patients infection, which came back positive for cowpox virus.
Further tests conducted by the Alaska State Public Health Laboratory and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention on lesion swabs indicated the man had Alaskapox.
Though the man’s condition appeared to improve, after a week of treatment his wounds didn’t seem to healing and he suffered from respiratory and kidney failure, leading to his death in January 2024.
What are the symptoms of Alaskapox?
According to the Alaska Division of Public Health, people with Alaskapox tend to develop ones have had one or more skin lesions and other symptoms like swollen lymph nodes and joint or muscle pain.
Alaskan health authorities advised people keep lesions covered and practice good hand hygiene
The lesions can look similar to insect bites. In fact, several people with the infection initially thought they had a spider or insect bite.
Six out the seven patients who got Alaskapox suffered mild illnesses that went away on their own after a few weeks.
How is Alaskapox spread?
Alaskan health authorities believe that the virus is mostly found in small animals.
Sampling from small mammals in 2020 and 2021 in the Fairbanks North Star Borough found traces of the Alaskapox virus in red-backed voles and shrews.
“It is likely that the virus is present more broadly in Alaska’s small mammals and that more infections in humans have occurred but were not identified, according to the Alaska Division of Public Health.
“More animal testing is occurring to better understand the distribution of the virus in animal populations throughout Alaska.”
Health authorities are yet to pinpoint how exactly the virus spreads.
The Alaska Division of Public Health said: “We are not sure exactly how the virus spreads from animals to people, but contact with small mammals and potentially domestic pets who come into contact small wild mammals could play a role.”
In the case of the elderly victim, he reported caring for a stray cat that regularly hunted small mammals.
The cat also frequently scratched the patient, once near his armpit about a month before he started displaying symptoms.
But so far, no human-to-human transmission of Alaskapox virus has been documented.
But other viruses in the same family – such as mpox – 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,” health authorities advised.
What to do if you suspect you have Alaskapox
THE report from State of Alaska Epidemiology advised you to do the following if you think you have a lesion caused by Alaskapox:
Avoid touching lesions
Keep lesions dry and covered
Practice good hand hygiene by wahing your hands often
Avoid sharing clothing that might have been in contact with lesions
Wash clothing and linens separately from other household items