The state Department of Health reports that seven cases of Alaskapox have been reported since the disease’s discovery in 2015. The elderly man who passed away last month was the subject of the most recent case.
The virus is a member of the orthopoxvirus genus, which also contains more well-known viruses that frequently infect mammals and cause skin lesions, like smallpox and mpox.
Although Alaskapox was only recently identified, according to McLaughlin, the virus is endemic in the state’s small mammal populations, frequently infecting rodents such as red squirrels and red-backed voles and shrews.
The man who passed away, according to health officials, looked after a stray cat that hunted small mammals and lived in a densely forested area. Therefore, informing it’s possible spread through domestic animals.
The Alaska Department of Health reports that aside from the most recent case, all patients diagnosed with Alaskapox experienced mild symptoms that spontaneously resolved within a few weeks. Common manifestations include skin lesions resembling spider bites, accompanied by swollen lymph nodes, muscle pain, and fever.
Individuals with compromised immune systems may experience more severe symptoms of Alaskapox, as observed in the case of the deceased individual who exhibited slow wound healing, malnutrition, acute renal failure, and respiratory failure.
Treatment options may involve antiviral medications and immune-globulin therapy. While some orthopoxviruses can transmit through direct contact with skin lesions, there is no evidence supporting human-to-human transmission of Alaskapox.
