A crippling and life-threatening disease
When it comes to protecting yourself against Alaskapox, the general advice from officials is to keep your distance from wildlife. Do not keep any stray animals as pets.
Officials also recommend avoiding sharing any bedding or other linens that may have come into contact with the lesion.
It is also a good idea to wash your hands each time you come in from being outdoors.
Finally, although there is currently no evidence of domestic pets showing symptoms of Alaskapox, be sure to visit the vet if your pet does present with a lesion or open wound.
Sources: (Sky News) (The New York Times) (AARP)
See also: Virus alert: the symptoms and causes of congenital cytomegalovirus
If you do find a lesion, be sure to keep it covered and dry. Do not touch it, and always seek medical attention.
That said, when it comes to treating other, similar viruses, such as Smallpox and Mpox, the treatment usually involves administering antiviral drugs.
Indeed, his condition improved around one week into the therapy, but then he started to suffer from delayed wound healing and respiratory and kidney failure, which ultimately resulted in his death.
The older man who was infected with the virus was treated with antiviral medication and antibodies, which led to a reduction in his rash.
The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services does not yet have any information that is publicly available about the treatment process for this virus.
Indeed, most people diagnosed so far experienced a mild illness and recovered on their own after a few weeks without the need for treatment.
At the moment, the general recommendation in Alaska is to visit your doctor if you have a lesion that looks like it could be Alaskapox.
According to one doctor from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, it is a good idea to visit your doctor if you have these symptoms, even if you haven’t been to Alaska.
His thinking is that the symptoms could also indicate an infection with Smallpox, which would also need to be diagnosed and treated.
As a precaution, therefore, health officials in Alaska are advising anyone with a suspected Alaskapox lesion to cover it with a bandage.
That is to say, there has been no documented case of Alaskapox spreading from one human to another.
What we do know is that the virus is primarily, if not uniquely, spread to humans via contact with infected animals.
This is even more important for anybody who has an underlying medical condition or may be immunocompromised, since this can carry a higher risk of serious infection.
Viruses in the same family, however, can spread via contact with the lesions of an infected person.
According to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, symptoms of the virus can include skin lesions, a rash, swollen lymph nodes, and joint or muscle pain.
So far, all the documented cases of this virus in humans have been in the state of Alaska, and officials are yet to comment on the possibility of it spreading outside the state.
He was transferred to a hospital and started treatment after testing positive for Cowpox. Nonetheless, he died in January 2024 after experiencing multiple systemic declines.
According to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, the man was being treated for cancer at the time he contracted the virus, and the severity of his illness was likely due to his having a suppressed immune system.
The first human case of Alaskapox was detected in 2015 in a woman who lived near Fairbanks, Alaska (hence the current name of the virus).
According to Sky News, the patient first spotted a red bump in his armpit in September 2023. He was given antibiotics, but his symptoms worsened.
Doctors diagnosed the woman with Alaskapox after she went to seek treatment for a localized rash and swollen lymph nodes.
Alaskapox, or AKPV, is a zoonotic virus that affects mainly small mammals, such as red-backed voles and shrews, in the state of Alaska.
Alaskapox appears mainly to affect small mammals, but since 2015 there have been several documented cases of the virus infecting humans.
As of January 2024, another six people were diagnosed with the virus. The most recent of those six was an elderly man from Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, who sadly died while undergoing treatment.
It is a species of the Orthopoxvirus, other variations of which include Camelpox, Cowpox, Horsepox, and Mpox (formerly known as Monkeypox).
In humans, the virus appears to cause skin lesions, as well as swollen lymph nodes and muscle or joint pain.
The newcomer on the pox scene, 'Alaskapox' was first discovered in a human in 2015. Since then, there have been several reported cases of people contracting this virus, which can cause skin lesions as well as a rash and joint or muscle pain. Until January 2024, no one had died from contracting the virus, but this is sadly no longer the case.
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Understanding Alaskapox: What it is and its implications
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HEALTH Illnesses
The newcomer on the pox scene, 'Alaskapox' was first discovered in a human in 2015. Since then, there have been several reported cases of people contracting this virus, which can cause skin lesions as well as a rash and joint or muscle pain. Until January 2024, no one had died from contracting the virus, but this is sadly no longer the case.
Intrigued? Check out this gallery to learn more.