Man Dies Due to Rare, New 'Alaskapox' Virus in 1st Reported Fatal Case; What Exactly Is This Condition?

hospital patient — Pexels / Muskan Anand

A resident from Alaska has passed away due to the complications of a rare and relatively new virus called Alaskapox.

1st Reported Fatality Case of Alaskapox

This case serves as the first known Alaskapox infection that led to both hospitalization and death. According to public health officials of the state, the patient was an elderly and immunocompromised man. Because of these factors, he had a higher risk of getting severely ill.

How the deceased resident got infected remains unclear. They lived alone in an area that was forested and reportedly cared for a stray cat, which was later found to test negative for Alaskapox.

According to Dr. Joe McLaughlin, the state epidemiologist and the chief at the Alaska Division of Public Health Section of Epidemiology, it might have been that the cat was catching shrews or voles and eating them. The cat could have ended up having the viable virus within its claws, which may have become the infection route through scratching.

Throughout the course of six weeks, the man went to his doctor and the local emergency room for lesions. He received antibiotic prescriptions as well. Later on, his condition was observed to deteriorate. He was then hospitalized, and his doctors sent in some tests to the CDC. His case was then identified by the CDC as a case of an Alaskapox viral infection. After a few weeks, the man ended up succumbing to the virus.

With this, public health officials are urging doctors to become familiar with the symptoms and signs of the virus and to consider conducting tests on patients that are suspected to have the illness.

What Is Alaskapox?

The Alaskapox virus was first identified in 2015 in Fairbanks, Alaska. Since its identification, there have only been seven reported cases within the state. Dr. McLaughlin explains that the condition is still rare and that for most people who get infected, it is likely for the clinical course to remain mild.

Due to the rarity of the condition, the full extent of its symptoms and the extent of people's exposure to it remain unclear. However, the virus is known to belong to the same pathogenic family as monkeypox and smallpox, which could lead to rashes, fatigue, and fever.

So far, there has been no evidence or report of human-to-human transmission. The condition is mainly zoonotic, which means that it can be transferred from animals to humans. The Alaska State Department of Health notes that Alaskapox typically occurs among small animals, such as shrews and voles. There have been no human-to-human reports.

John Brownstein, PhD, who serves as the chief innovation officer from Boston Children's Hospital, explains that the rarity and generally mild course of Alaskapox make it pose a low risk to the general public.