State reports first known fatal case of Alaska smallpox | Top Vip News

State health officials this week reported the first known fatal case of Alaskan smallpox in an immunocompromised man from the Kenai Peninsula who was receiving treatment in Anchorage when he died in late January.

Health officials say the newly discovered species of double-stranded DNA virus first identified in Alaska in 2015 comes from the same genus as smallpox, monkeypox and cowpox. It occurs mainly in small mammals such as voles and shrews.

The man is one of the seven. Alaska smallpox infections reported to date, according to an Alaska Epidemiology Section. bulletin released Friday providing information about the death.

The fatal case, which took months to diagnose, is significant because Alaska smallpox had previously caused only mild infections, state health officials say. It is also significant because the case was first reported outside of the Fairbanks area.

The man’s immunocompromised state likely contributed to the severity of his illness, officials say.

Until December, infection reports involved relatively mild illnesses consisting of a localized rash and swollen lymph nodes. None of those people needed treatment, but they all had healthy immune systems, according to state epidemiology chief Dr. Joe McLaughlin.

This latest case indicates that the virus may be more widespread among rodents and other small animals in Alaska than previously thought, leading to state recommendations that medical providers make sure they can recognize the symptoms.

“People shouldn’t necessarily be worried, but more aware,” said Julia Rogers, state epidemiologist and co-author of the bulletin. “So we hope that doctors will be more aware of what the Alaskan smallpox virus is, so they can identify signs and symptoms.”

Officials said Friday that additional attention to this latest case could increase the state’s Alaska smallpox virus case count as more people recognize symptoms and get tested.

The cause of the fatal case is still unclear, authorities say.

It is possible that the man, who lived in a remote location and had not traveled anywhere, contracted the virus from a stray cat that hunted small mammals and scratched him near the area where his first symptoms began, according to the bulletin. The cat tested negative for the virus but could have carried it in his paws.

The man noticed a painful red lump in his armpit in September and was prescribed antibiotics after seeking medical attention several times over six weeks, according to the bulletin. In mid-November, his symptoms increased to include fatigue and pain.

He was hospitalized on the Kenai Peninsula and then transferred to Anchorage, where he reported increasingly urgent symptoms and more smallpox-like lesions, according to the bulletin. A “battery of tests” in December returned a positive result for cowpox; Testing by the Centers for Disease Control confirmed Alaska smallpox, he said.

The man began to improve about a week after treatment with intravenous medications, but died in late January after experiencing kidney failure and other systemic deteriorations, according to the bulletin.

health officials recommend Anyone who has an injury, cover it with a bandage and report any possible symptoms of Alaska smallpox to a medical provider. Alaskans should also practice good hygiene when hunting and trapping or when around pets that may come into contact with animals such as voles or shrews.

A Fairbanks-area resident with Alaska smallpox reported that his dog rolled among dead animals, but it is unclear whether contact with the dog was the cause of the patient’s infection, McLaughlin said. Several people who later tested positive for Alaska smallpox initially thought they had spider bites, officials said, highlighting the virus’s ability to slip under the medical radar.

The bulletin includes nine recommendations ranging from urging Alaskans to use safe practices around wildlife to clinics taking measures to protect immunocompromised patients and staff when faced with the virus.