(CMR) An elderly man in Alaska has died from Alaskapox, believed to have been contracted from a stray cat. This marks the first known fatality from the virus, which was recently discovered.
The man, who lived in the remote Kenai Peninsula, was hospitalized last November and died in late January, according to a bulletin released from Alaska public health officials.
The elderly man was undergoing cancer treatment and had a suppressed immune system because of the drugs.
The bulletin stated that the patient’s immunocompromised status likely contributed to illness severity. Moreover, the first case of Alaskapox identified outside of the Interior region indicates that AKPV appears more geographically widespread in Alaska’s small mammals than previously known and warrants increased statewide awareness among clinicians.
Health officials said that Alaskapox, also known as AKPV, is related to smallpox, cowpox, and mpox. Symptoms include a rash, swollen lymph nodes, and joint or muscle pain. Immunocompromised people might be at increased risk for more severe illness, officials said.
According to Alaska health officials, there have been only six other reported cases of the virus since the first one in 2015. These cases involved people living in the Fairbanks area, which is more than 300 miles from the Kenai Peninsula. Health officials have stated that all of these cases were mild, and the individuals recovered without needing to be hospitalized.
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