Alaskan health experts have confirmed the first death caused by the recently identified virus known as Alaskapox. In late January, an elderly immunocompromised man from the Kenai Peninsula, south of Anchorage, died of the disease. According to a statement from the Alaska Department of Public Health, the individual was receiving treatment at the time and is one of just seven cases of Alaskapox reported.
The man stated that he had not traveled recently and lived alone in the woods. Officials suspected he caught Alaskapox from a domestic cat which frequently killed small mammals and scratched him when the illness initially manifested. Although the cat’s test results showed no infection, it could have spread through its claws, according to the New York Post.
The man was given antibiotics after discovering a red tumor under his right armpit in September. However, six weeks later, his symptoms increased to include pain and fatigue. In December, he had a “battery of tests” in the hospital, and the findings revealed that he had cowpox. The Centers for Disease Control conducted more testing and determined that the infection was Alaskapox.
Here’s what you should know about Alaskapox:
What is the Alaskapox Virus?
Alaskapox is an orthopox virus that was first discovered in 2015 in a woman living in the Fairbanks area, according to the Alaska Division of Public Health. As of December 2023, there had been six additional human diseases reported. Orthopoxviruses are a class of viruses that include the Alasapox virus. Skin lesions are caused by these viruses when they infect mammals.