According to the state’s health agency, Alaskapox, a virus that was just recently identified, has claimed the life of its first victim. According to Alaska health authorities who talked with TIME about the case, the elderly man, who was immunocompromised as a result of cancer treatments, first spotted a strange lesion in his right armpit last September. He was given medications at his neighbourhood emergency department on the Kenai Peninsula, but after several trips and an increasingly excruciating infection, he was sent to an Anchorage hospital.
The Ortho poxvirus test was positive for the patient, but further testing excluded the related viral infections cowpox, mpox, and chickenpox. Scientists from the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta verified the existence of Alaskapox after doctors submitted a sample there. The man’s condition worsened after first getting better, and he finally developed respiratory and renal failure.
What is Alaskapox?
In the Fairbanks area, a man was initially diagnosed with Alaskapox in 2015. Since then, six other cases two in 2020, two in 2021, one in 2022, and two in 2023 that all involved locals have been documented (including the latest case). Prior to the most recent patient, every single one of the other patients recovered on their own with only very minor symptoms such as rashes and enlarged lymph nodes.
Experts in infectious diseases examined the local small animal population and discovered that four species voles, flying squirrels, and other rodents were infected with the virus and probably served as a reservoir for human infection. According to Dr. Joseph McLaughlin, the state epidemiologist and staff physician in the Alaska Department of Health, the most recent case is “the first case of serious Alaskapox infection seen in Alaska, the first case that involved somebody who was immunocompromised, the first case that required hospitalisation, the first case that ultimately resulted in death, and the first case to occur outside of the Fairbanks area.
How the Alaskapox might transit
In the tragic instance, the guy claimed to have taken in a stray cat that scratched him many times, including near his right underarm. He lived alone on the Kenai Peninsula. The cat’s test results for the Alaskapox virus were negative, but according to McLaughlin, it’s possible that dogs and cats who hunt small mammals might not get sick but still carry the virus in their claws, which could then spread to humans when they itch. “Our research focuses on how household pets might act as intermediary vectors in the virus’s transmission from rodents to people.
Health officials in Alaska think that the man’s terrible condition may have been caused by a compromised immune system. It is not unexpected that the virus from this most recent occurrence differs genetically from earlier discovered Alaskapox viruses, as orthopox viruses evolve as they spread throughout animal reservoirs.
Dr. Julia Rogers, an epidemic intelligence officer with the CDC assigned to the Alaska division of public health, states that as of right now, “there is no data to make us assume that this strain would have enhanced virulence or transmissibility.” “That requires more cases and investigations to be determined.
The fact that his case happened around 500 miles outside of the area where other infections had been documented worries public health specialists since it suggests that the virus is more common in animal populations than previously believed. In order to identify the area where the virus is circulating for Alaskapox, the University of Alaska, the CDC, and the Alaska Department of Health have been working together to trap and test small rodents in the Fairbanks area.
As of right now, those plans will also involve testing animals all the way down to the Kenai Peninsula. According to McLaughlin, “the most important question at this time is how widespread this virus is among small animals across Alaska, and maybe even beyond the state. It’s quite conceivable that animals in nearby regions like the Yukon and Russia may also be infected if Alaskapox has spread outside of the state.
While there are no known cases of Alaskapox spreading from person to person, this is a method of transmission for other viruses in the same family. As a result, medical professionals advise against handling sick individuals and to get tested as soon as possible for Alaskapox. To lessen the severity of illness, those who may have been exposed, such as immunocompromised healthcare professionals, may be immunised with the Jynneos vaccine for mpox.
The extent of the Alaskapox virus is unknown, but according to McLaughlin, it has probably been spreading among animals for a while; health officials have just lately discovered cases of human infection. He states, “We don’t have any data to suggest that the incidence of Alaskapox is growing over time. It is still an uncommon illness.” Health officials nonetheless advise anybody experiencing unexplained lesions and rashes to report them right away to their physicians. From there, the physicians can decide if further testing at public health labs is required to identify the virus.
The symptoms of Alaskapox
Individuals who have contracted the Alaskapox virus have had joint or muscle discomfort, enlarged lymph nodes, and one or more skin lesions.
At first, the majority of these patients believed that they had been bitten by a spider or other bug. With the exception of one patient who passed away in February, the most of them had minor ailments that went away on their own in a few weeks.
Alaskapox: The Cause
Small animals are the primary host of the Alaskapox virus. Studies show that the virus is widespread outside of the Fairbanks North Star region in Alaska and affects a number of small animal species. Smallpox and monkeypox are among the pathogens that are related to Alaskapox.
The Alaska Health Department stated, “We are not precisely clear how the virus passes from animals to people, but interaction with tiny mammals and maybe domestic pets who come into touch with small wild mammals could play a role.
