Alaskapox is an orthopoxvirus from smallpox, cowpox, and empox (originally known as “monkeypox”). Infections have so far only occurred in the US state of Alaska.
In the year Since the first report in 2015, only seven cases have been reported in humans.
Patients with Alaskapox report one or more skin lesions similar to spider or insect bites. Other symptoms include swollen lymph nodes and joint or muscle pain within a few weeks.
Before he died in January, all other cases of alaskapox were mild and did not require hospitalization.
How is the virus transmitted?
Researchers believe that the virus may be zoonotic, which means it can be transmitted from animals to humans.
Alaska health officials have reported that Alaskapox cases in 2020 and 2021 have been traced to two types of small mammals — red-backed voles and shrews — with the majority of human cases in Fairbanks’ North Star Borough.
It is not yet clear how exactly the virus made it from animals to humans. Patients could have received the virus from pets that came into contact with infected voles or shrews – this could have been the case with the deceased patient.
While not directly transmitted from person to person, experts warn that other orthopoxviruses can be spread through direct contact with skin lesions, and recommend that people with skin lesions that may be caused by alascappox cover the affected area with a bandage.
What do we know about Alaskapox deaths?
So far, only one person from Alaska is known to have died from the virus. Health officials described the man as “elderly” but did not give an exact age.
He lived on the remote Kenai Peninsula, which juts into the Gulf of Alaska off the state’s southern coast. The peninsula is more than 483 kilometers (300 miles) from the Fairbanks area of Alaska, where the other six cases occurred.
Health officials said this likely indicates the virus has spread to animals outside the Fairbanks area.
The man was taking immunosuppressants as part of his cancer treatment — “the patient’s immune status contributed to the severity of the disease,” the Alaska Department of Health said in a statement on the case.
In September 2023, the man discovered a red papule on his right armpit. In November, he was admitted to the hospital with fatigue, pain and reduced mobility in his right arm. Doctors found four other injuries on his body.
Tests confirmed he had Alaskapox, and he “later showed delayed wound healing, malnutrition, acute kidney failure and respiratory problems,” the Alaska Department of Health said.
The patient died in January 2024.
The man lived alone and had not traveled before his arrest. Reports suggest that he was taking care of a stray cat that regularly hunted small mammals and scratched him frequently.
The cat came into contact with an infected vole or other small mammal and transmitted Alaskapox to the person.
What should you do if you think you have Alaskapox?
If you think you have the virus, consult a doctor.
Avoid touching lesions on your body and cover them with bandages to prevent them from spreading.
The Alaska Department of Health advises people with Alaskapox to “practice good hand hygiene, avoid sharing cloths that have been in contact with sores, and wash clothes and linens separately from other household items.”
In the year Since the first report in 2015, only seven cases have been reported in humans.
Patients with Alaskapox report one or more skin lesions similar to spider or insect bites. Other symptoms include swollen lymph nodes and joint or muscle pain within a few weeks.
Before he died in January, all other cases of alaskapox were mild and did not require hospitalization.
How is the virus transmitted?
Researchers believe that the virus may be zoonotic, which means it can be transmitted from animals to humans.
Alaska health officials have reported that Alaskapox cases in 2020 and 2021 have been traced to two types of small mammals — red-backed voles and shrews — with the majority of human cases in Fairbanks’ North Star Borough.
It is not yet clear how exactly the virus made it from animals to humans. Patients could have received the virus from pets that came into contact with infected voles or shrews – this could have been the case with the deceased patient.
Stretch out
While not directly transmitted from person to person, experts warn that other orthopoxviruses can be spread through direct contact with skin lesions, and recommend that people with skin lesions that may be caused by alascappox cover the affected area with a bandage.
What do we know about Alaskapox deaths?
So far, only one person from Alaska is known to have died from the virus. Health officials described the man as “elderly” but did not give an exact age.
He lived on the remote Kenai Peninsula, which juts into the Gulf of Alaska off the state’s southern coast. The peninsula is more than 483 kilometers (300 miles) from the Fairbanks area of Alaska, where the other six cases occurred.
Health officials said this likely indicates the virus has spread to animals outside the Fairbanks area.
The man was taking immunosuppressants as part of his cancer treatment — “the patient’s immune status contributed to the severity of the disease,” the Alaska Department of Health said in a statement on the case.
In September 2023, the man discovered a red papule on his right armpit. In November, he was admitted to the hospital with fatigue, pain and reduced mobility in his right arm. Doctors found four other injuries on his body.
Tests confirmed he had Alaskapox, and he “later showed delayed wound healing, malnutrition, acute kidney failure and respiratory problems,” the Alaska Department of Health said.
The patient died in January 2024.
The man lived alone and had not traveled before his arrest. Reports suggest that he was taking care of a stray cat that regularly hunted small mammals and scratched him frequently.
The cat came into contact with an infected vole or other small mammal and transmitted Alaskapox to the person.
What should you do if you think you have Alaskapox?
If you think you have the virus, consult a doctor.
Avoid touching lesions on your body and cover them with bandages to prevent them from spreading.
The Alaska Department of Health advises people with Alaskapox to “practice good hand hygiene, avoid sharing cloths that have been in contact with sores, and wash clothes and linens separately from other household items.”