An elderly man has passed away from the first case of the Alaskapox virus ever documented, the Telegraph reported. This virus is similar to smallpox and has been identified recently.
First case of Alaskapox virus reported, man believed to have contracted virus from cat scratch
According to the Anchorage Daily News, a senior man with a weakened immune system from the Kenai Peninsula, south of Anchorage, passed away during treatment in late January.
The Alaska Department of Public Health disclosed that he is among just seven people known to have contracted the Alaskapox virus (AKPV), as per an announcement on Friday. People should not necessarily be concerned but more aware,” said Julia Rogers, a state epidemiologist. “So we’re hoping to make clinicians more aware of what Alaskapox virus is, so that they can identify signs and symptoms.”
The man resided alone in a wooded area and had not traveled recently, according to NY Post. Officials suggested that he may have contracted Alaskapox from a cat he lived with, which often hunted small mammals and scratched him when his symptoms began.
While the cat tested negative for the virus, it’s possible that it could have transmitted the virus through its claws. There’s currently no proof that AKPV can spread among humans, according to the Telegraph. However, Alaskan health authorities recommended covering skin lesions with bandages as an added precaution.
Additionally, the Alaska Department of Health cautioned that household pets like cats and dogs “might also contribute to spreading the virus.”
The virus was first discovered in 2015 near Fairbanks
The double-stranded-DNA virus, belonging to the same genus as smallpox, monkeypox, and cowpox, was initially discovered in an adult from Fairbanks, Alaska, back in 2015. This virus is often found in small mammals such as voles and shrews, NY Post reported.
The recent fatal case, which is the first one identified outside of Alaska’s interior, presented challenges in diagnosis and took several months. Previously, Alaskapox cases had only exhibited mild symptoms in patients, typically showing up as a localized rash and swollen lymph nodes.
Dr. Stathis Giotis, a Research Fellow at the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College London and lecturer of Molecular Virology at the University of Essex, stated that scientists have not yet determined the primary method of transmission for the pathogen.
“There is no reason to be alarmed, however. It is always good to be better informed about our interactions with wildlife. Washing our hands carefully with soap or alcohol-based products helps to protect against viruses, as well as recognising the signs of infection,” Dr. Giotis said.
