A view of an Alaska landscape.Photo:Getty
Getty
An elderly man in Alaska’s remote Kenai Peninsula died of Alaskapox in late January, marking the first reported death of someone who contracted the recently discovered virus, health officials haveconfirmed.
The unnamed man who died last month, according to theAlaska Department of Healthand Division of Public Health, was the first person to contact the “self-limiting illness” who didn’t live in Fairbanks. He was immunocompromised and undergoing cancer treatment, and had discovered a “tender red papule in his right axilla” in September 2023, before being hospitalized in November “due to extensive progression of presumed infectious cellulitis that impacted the range of motion of his right arm.”
After several tests, the man eventually “exhibited delayed wound healing, malnutrition, acute renal failure, and respiratory failure” before his January death, the Department of Health shared.
He notably lived alone with “no recent travel and no close contacts with recent travel, illness, or similar lesions.” He cared for a stray cat that had scratched him, he told officials. “The route of exposure in this case remains unclear, although scratches from the stray cat represent a possible source of inoculation through fomite transmission,” health officials have shared. “SOE is working with the University of Alaska Museum and CDC to test small mammals for AKPV outside of the Interior region.”
Patient in a hospital bed.Getty Images
Getty Images
But what exactly is Alaskapox?
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“There is no reason to be alarmed, however. It is always good to be better informed about our interactions with wildlife," Giotis said. “Washing our hands carefully with soap or alcohol-based products helps to protect against viruses, as well as recognizing the signs of infection.”
Symptoms, per the health department’s website, have included skin lesions, swollen lymph nodes and muscle and joint pain, with people who are immunocompromised being at increased risk “for more severe illness.”
As for how to treat Alaskapox, the department encourages patients to avoid touching their lesions, to keep them dry and covered, practice “good hand hygiene,” avoid sharing clothing that could’ve touched the lesions, and “launder clothing and linens separately from other household items.”
Alaskans are also encouraged to “follow CDC guidelines for staying healthy around wildlife to prevent potential AKPV infections.”
source: people.com
