Immunocompromised man dies from rare disease
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The first fatal case of a rare disease was recently reported—one that was only discovered nine years ago.
This has raised concerns among health officials and the public alike, as the disease was previously thought to cause only mild symptoms.
The victim, an elderly man with a compromised immune system in the US state of Alaska, passed away in late January while undergoing treatment.
His case is one of only seven reported Alaskapox infections, according to the Alaska Department of Public Health.
Julia Rogers, a State Epidemiologist, urged the public to be aware rather than alarmed.
'We're hoping to make clinicians more aware of what Alaskapox virus is so that they can identify signs and symptoms,' she said.
The Alaskapox virus, a double-stranded DNA virus, belongs to the same genus as smallpox, monkeypox, and cowpox.
It was first identified in an adult in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 2015 and is most commonly found in small mammals.
The fatal case—also the first identified case outside of Alaska's interior—took months to diagnose.
Previous Alaskapox cases had only shown mild symptoms in patients, which were typically localised rashes and swollen lymph nodes.
Other patients diagnosed with the virus did not require treatment, but they all had healthy immune systems, health officials noted.
It is understood that the man's immunocompromised condition likely contributed to his death.
However, how he contracted the virus remains a mystery.
The man reported no recent travel and lived alone in the woods.
Health officials speculated that he may have contracted the disease from a cat he lived with, which frequently hunted small mammals and scratched him when his symptoms began.
Although the cat tested negative for the virus, it could have spread from its claws.
In September, the man noticed a red bump in his right armpit and was treated with antibiotics.
But six weeks later, his symptoms worsened and included fatigue and pain.
In December, he was hospitalised in the city of Anchorage and underwent a series of tests.
The man initially tested positive for cowpox, but further testing by the Centers for Disease Control revealed it was actually Alaskapox.
According to health officials, his condition improved after a week of intravenous medications, but he later died after experiencing kidney and respiratory failure
What are your thoughts on this recent development? Let us know in the comments below.
This has raised concerns among health officials and the public alike, as the disease was previously thought to cause only mild symptoms.
The victim, an elderly man with a compromised immune system in the US state of Alaska, passed away in late January while undergoing treatment.
His case is one of only seven reported Alaskapox infections, according to the Alaska Department of Public Health.
A man becomes the first fatal case of the Alaskapox disease. Image source: Freepik.
Julia Rogers, a State Epidemiologist, urged the public to be aware rather than alarmed.
'We're hoping to make clinicians more aware of what Alaskapox virus is so that they can identify signs and symptoms,' she said.
The Alaskapox virus, a double-stranded DNA virus, belongs to the same genus as smallpox, monkeypox, and cowpox.
It was first identified in an adult in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 2015 and is most commonly found in small mammals.
The fatal case—also the first identified case outside of Alaska's interior—took months to diagnose.
Previous Alaskapox cases had only shown mild symptoms in patients, which were typically localised rashes and swollen lymph nodes.
Other patients diagnosed with the virus did not require treatment, but they all had healthy immune systems, health officials noted.
It is understood that the man's immunocompromised condition likely contributed to his death.
However, how he contracted the virus remains a mystery.
The man reported no recent travel and lived alone in the woods.
Health officials speculated that he may have contracted the disease from a cat he lived with, which frequently hunted small mammals and scratched him when his symptoms began.
Although the cat tested negative for the virus, it could have spread from its claws.
In September, the man noticed a red bump in his right armpit and was treated with antibiotics.
But six weeks later, his symptoms worsened and included fatigue and pain.
In December, he was hospitalised in the city of Anchorage and underwent a series of tests.
The man initially tested positive for cowpox, but further testing by the Centers for Disease Control revealed it was actually Alaskapox.
According to health officials, his condition improved after a week of intravenous medications, but he later died after experiencing kidney and respiratory failure
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Albo and his government. They have turned this amazing country into a 3rd world country. 
