Biology:Alaskapox virus
| Alaskapox virus | |
|---|---|
Virus classification 
| |
| (unranked): | Virus |
| Realm: | Varidnaviria |
| Kingdom: | Bamfordvirae |
| Phylum: | Nucleocytoviricota |
| Class: | Pokkesviricetes |
| Order: | Chitovirales |
| Family: | Poxviridae |
| Genus: | Orthopoxvirus |
| Species: | 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 reported cases of illness caused by the virus, all of which occurred in Fairbanks North Star Borough, with none resulting in hospitalization or death.[2]
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
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Springer, Yuri P.; Hsu, Christopher H.; Werle, Zachary R.; Olson, Link E.; Cooper, Michael P.; Castrodale, Louisa J.; Fowler, Nisha; McCollum, Andrea M. et al. (15 June 2017). "Novel Orthopoxvirus Infection in an Alaska Resident". Clinical Infectious Diseases 64 (12): 1737–1741. doi:10.1093/cid/cix219.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Frequently asked questions about Alaskapox virus". Alaska Department of Health and Human Services. 2021. https://health.alaska.gov/dph/epi/id/siteassets/pages/Alaskapox/onepager_Alaskapox.pdf.
- ↑ Gigante, CM; Gao, J; Tang, S; McCollum, AM; Wilkins, K; Reynolds, MG; Davidson, W; McLaughlin, J et al. (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’" (in en). Anchorage Daily News. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2020/10/01/a-fairbanks-woman-was-recently-diagnosed-with-the-second-known-case-of-alaskapox/.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Berman, Annie (14 September 2021). "3rd and 4th known cases of ‘Alaskapox’ — both mild — were recently diagnosed in the Fairbanks area" (in en). Anchorage Daily News. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/science/2021/09/14/3rd-and-4th-known-cases-of-alaskapox-both-mild-were-recently-diagnosed-in-the-fairbanks-area/.
- ↑ Forster, Victoria (18 September 2021). "New Virus Causing “Alaskapox” Found In Two More People In Fairbanks" (in en). Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2021/09/18/new-virus-causing-alaskapox-found-in-two-more-people-in-fairbanks/?sh=76c98b8fbe94.
Further reading
Wikidata ☰ Q113127577 entry
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