Alaskapox virus
Alaskapox virus is a species of the Orthopoxvirus genus, first documented in 2015 in the United States state of Alaska.[1] As of 2022, there are four known cases of illness caused by the virus, all of which occurred in Fairbanks North Star Borough, with none resulting in hospitalization or death.[2]
| Alaskapox virus | |
|---|---|
Virus classification  | |
| (unranked): | Virus |
| Realm: | Varidnaviria |
| Kingdom: | Bamfordvirae |
| Phylum: | Nucleocytoviricota |
| Class: | Pokkesviricetes |
| Order: | Chitovirales |
| Family: | Poxviridae |
| Genus: | Orthopoxvirus |
| Species: | Alaskapox virus |
Discovery
In July 2015, a woman visited a clinic in Fairbanks, Alaska, with lesions that were confirmed to contain an Orthopox virus but did not match any known members of the genus.[1] Subsequent genetic analysis established that the woman, who recovered, had been infected with a novel Orthopox virus.[1] The name Alaskapox virus was proposed after full analysis of its genome was published in 2019.[3]
Subsequent cases
In 2020, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services announced the second known infection of Alaskapox in another Fairbanks woman.[4] Two additional cases were identified in the Fairbanks area in the summer of 2021.[5] All four known cases were mild, not requiring hospitalization.[5]
All known cases have occurred in Fairbanks North Star Borough, but it is possible that other infections have occurred elsewhere.[2]
Signs and symptoms
In the identified cases, Alaskapox virus causes small lesions on the skin that heal after a few weeks, according to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services,[2] but the first known patient indicated the lesion took six months to fully resolve.[1] Other reported symptoms include joint or muscle pain and swollen lymph nodes.[2]
Transmission
Transmission of the virus to humans is hypothesized to be via small animals,[5][6] though it is not yet clear specifically how this occurs.[2] As of 2021, there was not established evidence of transmission among humans.[5]
References
- Springer, Yuri P.; Hsu, Christopher H.; Werle, Zachary R.; Olson, Link E.; Cooper, Michael P.; Castrodale, Louisa J.; Fowler, Nisha; McCollum, Andrea M.; Goldsmith, Cynthia S.; Emerson, Ginny L.; Wilkins, Kimberly; Doty, Jeffrey B.; Burgado, Jillybeth; Gao, JinXin; Patel, Nishi; Mauldin, Matthew R.; Reynolds, Mary G.; Satheshkumar, Panayampalli S.; Davidson, Whitni; Li, Yu; McLaughlin, Joseph B. (15 June 2017). "Novel Orthopoxvirus Infection in an Alaska Resident". Clinical Infectious Diseases. 64 (12): 1737–1741. doi:10.1093/cid/cix219. PMC 5447873.
- "Frequently asked questions about Alaskapox virus" (PDF). Alaska Department of Health and Human Services. 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- Gigante, CM; Gao, J; Tang, S; McCollum, AM; Wilkins, K; Reynolds, MG; Davidson, W; McLaughlin, J; Olson, VA; Li, Y (1 August 2019). "Genome of Alaskapox Virus, A Novel Orthopoxvirus Isolated from Alaska". Viruses. 11 (8). doi:10.3390/v11080708. PMID 31375015.
- Berman, Annie (2 October 2020). "A Fairbanks woman was recently diagnosed with the second known case of 'Alaskapox'". Anchorage Daily News. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
- Berman, Annie (14 September 2021). "3rd and 4th known cases of 'Alaskapox' — both mild — were recently diagnosed in the Fairbanks area". Anchorage Daily News. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
- Forster, Victoria (18 September 2021). "New Virus Causing "Alaskapox" Found In Two More People In Fairbanks". Forbes. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2022.