Should we be worried about Alaskapox, the mysterious virus that just killed one person?

After Monkeypox, Alaskapox? Known as “Alaskan smallpox” and first reported in 2015 in Fairbanks, Alaska, the virus caused the country’s first death in late January. According to a press release from American state health authorities, the man was immunocompromised and was being treated for cancer. “This is the first case of severe Alaskapox infection leading to hospitalization and death,” states the February 9 epidemiological bulletin. Immunosuppression of the patient probably contributes to the severity of the illness. »

Like monkeypox, this virus is part of the orthopox virus family and is transmitted by mammals. But if the WHO fears an international spread of monkeypox, we are far from Alaskapox. In nine years, the country’s authorities have registered only seven cases. With this first death, however, should we worry? Is there a risk of spreading to Europe? We take stock.

What are its symptoms?

As with monkeypox, the main symptoms are rashes, rashes or pustules and enlarged lymph nodes. Pain in joints and muscles is also reported. “Many Alaskapox patients initially thought they had a spider or insect bite,” Alaska health officials explained in a press release.

Common symptoms for various pathologies. “It looks like cat scratch disease or even anthrax,” says Benjamin Davidow, an infectious disease doctor at the Raymond Poincaré Hospital in Garches. So diagnosis can be difficult. According to Alaska authorities, until last December, all patients presented with mild ailments that resolved on their own after a few weeks. But the man who died in late January and contracted the virus in November presented with more severe symptoms, including respiratory failure.

How is it transmitted?

Alaska smallpox, for the moment, is thought to be transmitted only by mammals. Through two rounds of testing conducted in 2020 and 2021, the Alaska Division of Public Health confirmed the presence of Alaskapox virus in two species: red-backed voles and shrews. In total, four species will be affected.

The virus can thus be transmitted to humans by domestic animals that are themselves in contact with contaminated small mammals. The man who died in late January lived in a forested area of ​​the Kenai Peninsula in the south of the country. According to authorities, he said he regularly takes care of a stray cat at his home. He was also scratched several times by the animal.

“For the moment, cases remain exceptional because the virus is not transmitted between humans,” analyzes Benjamin Davido. Although human-to-human transmission of Alaska smallpox has not yet been observed, some orthopoxviruses are spread through direct contact with lesions. This is especially the case with monkeypox. Alaska health authorities therefore advise in a press release that people with skin lesions potentially caused by Alaskapox should “cover the affected area with a bandage and avoid sharing bedding or other linens that have been exposed to the lesions.”

Is there a risk of spreading to Europe?

While people living in Alaska have been urged to exercise caution, no cases have yet been reported in Europe. At this stage, there is little danger of being on this side of the Atlantic. “I’m less concerned because Alaska is one of the least populated states in the United States, a semi-island area that has a very specific ecosystem,” adds the infectious disease doctor.

The expert, however, is puzzled about the dead patient’s breathing pattern. “Without falling into catastrophism, it’s interesting. Could this respiratory form cause droplet transmission of the virus and thus be transmitted from person to person? This is the whole question that has to be answered. »

Because the situation has already happened with monkeypox, a virus known since the 1980s but which has recently mutated and is slowly transmitted from human to human. “But, in the case of Alaskapox, if there were secondary cases, for example, in the congregation, we would have seen them since November,” assures the doctor. So there is no reason to panic, especially since we are in the range of viruses that we know. » So don’t panic. At least for now.