The death of an elderly man from the Kenai Peninsula in the US due to Alaskapox, which was first detected in 2015, has led to a huge concern among the public and captured the attention of health experts and scientists. According to a release from the Alaska Department of Health, the immunocompromised man died last month from the disease. He was receiving treatment at the time and was among the seven cases of the infectious disease reported in recent times.
What is Alaskapox?
The viral disease is caused by the orthopox virus, which usually infects mammals and causes skin lesions. It is believed to have first surfaced in the human population around 2015 when a woman, who lived near Fairbanks, was infected with the virus.
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As per the Alaska Department of Health release, six cases of Alaskapox have been reported in Fairbanks North Star Borough, while one infection occurred in a person in the Kenai Peninsula borough.
It further stated that so far “human-to-human transmission of Alaskapox virus has not yet been observed.”
“Some orthopoxviruses can spread by direct contact with lesions (particularly broken skin contact with lesion secretions). Therefore, we advise individuals with skin lesions potentially caused by Alaskapox to keep the affected area covered with a bandage and avoid sharing bedding or other linens that have come into contact with the lesion,” it added.
Alaskapox - Origin
The Alaskapox virus primarily occurs in small mammals. As per studies, the virus is present in several small mammal species in Alaska, while its prevalence extends to areas outside of the Fairbanks North Star region. Alaskapox shares its lineage with pathogens like smallpox and monkeypox.
“We are not sure exactly how the virus spreads from animals to people but contact with small mammals and potentially domestic pets who come into contact with small wild mammals could play a role,” the Alaska Health Department said.
Alaskapox - Symptoms
Those infected with the Alaskapox virus have had one or more skin lesions, swollen lymph nodes, and joint or muscle pain.
Most of these patients initially thought that they had a spider or insect bite. Almost all of them had mild illnesses that resolved on their own in a few weeks, except for the one patient who died in February.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
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