Health
Alaska man dies from novel animal-borne virus, likely contracted from stray cat
The first fatality from Alaskapox, a type of orthopoxvirus, has been reported on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska.
State officials released a bulletin Feb. 9 detailing that an elderly man contracted the virus in Sept. 2023, likely from an infected stray cat who scratched him.
The man, whose immune system had been suppressed by cancer treatments, first noticed a tender red bump in his underarm. Over the next few weeks, he also experienced fatigue and pain in his arm and shoulder.
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On Nov. 17, the patient was hospitalized with cellulitis, a bacterial skin infection, according to the Alaska Department of Public Health (ADPH).
The man was transferred to a hospital in Anchorage, where a series of tests determined the source of his painful infection. Despite extensive treatment, the patient ultimately died in January 2024 after experiencing malnutrition, acute renal failure and respiratory failure, the bulletin said.
An elderly man contracted the virus in Sept. 2023, likely due to the scratch of an infected stray cat (not pictured). (iStock)
“This is the first case of severe Alaskapox infection resulting in hospitalization and death,” the bulletin stated.
“The patient’s immunocompromised status likely contributed to illness severity.”
What is Alaskapox?
Alaskapox is similar to other orthopox viruses, such as monkeypox and smallpox — but its symptoms are typically not as severe.
It is a zoonotic virus, which is transmitted between people and animals.
Alaskapox is spread by small mammals in Alaska, primarily voles.
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Since the first documented case in Fairbanks in 2015, there have only been six additional cases, including the Kenai Peninsula man who succumbed to the infection.
All cases have affected people who lived in wooded areas and had cared for pets who had been in contact with small mammals.
Skin lesions are a primary symptom of Alaskapox, along with swollen lymph nodes and joint or muscle pain, according to the ADPH. (iStock)
Dr. Aaron Glatt, chair of the department of medicine and chief of infectious diseases at Mt. Sinai South Nassau Hospital in New York, pointed out that although Alaskapox is a type of orthopox virus, it’s “nowhere near” as concerning as smallpox.
“It’s in the same family, but that doesn’t mean it [warrants] the same level of worry for the general public,” he said in a phone call with Fox News Digital.
“I think it’s something we all should be aware of, but it’s not something that presents a major public health disaster.”
It is more similar to monkeypox than smallpox, the doctor said.
“I think it’s something we all should be aware of, but it’s not something that presents a major public health disaster,” Glatt said.
Spread and symptoms
Although there have been no cases of the virus spreading from person to person, the ADPH recommends that people with skin lesions potentially caused by Alaskapox keep the affected areas covered with a bandage and avoid sharing bedding or other linens.
In addition to the skin lesions, infected patients may experience swollen lymph nodes and joint or muscle pain, according to the ADPH.
Alaskapox is similar to other orthopox viruses, such as monkeypox and smallpox, but its symptoms are typically not as severe. (iStock)
Most patients who have had the virus experienced only mild symptoms that resolved on their own within a few weeks.
“It’s usually a very mild infection, but there’s the potential that it could be more serious in the immunocompromised,” Glatt said.
“In that case, any mild infection that would normally not cause serious illness can be much more serious.”
“It’s usually a very mild infection, but there’s the potential that it could be more serious in the immunocompromised.”
“It is likely that the virus is present more broadly in Alaska’s small mammals and that more infections in humans have occurred but were not identified,” the ADPH stated.
“More animal testing is occurring to better understand the distribution of the virus in animal populations throughout Alaska.”
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To Glatt’s knowledge, there are no targeted medications specifically for Alaskapox.
“I’m sure that some of the other viral agents that have been used for monkeypox could theoretically have some benefit, but to my knowledge, nobody has tried that,” he said.
As far as whether Alaskapox could spread to other states, Glatt said it’s unlikely at this point.
The patient who succumbed to Alaskapox lived in a wooded area on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. (iStock)
“If it’s an animal vector and the animal is found mostly in Alaska, it’s going to be seen thereabouts,” he told Fox News Digital.
“I can’t tell you that it couldn’t transmit to another area, but at this point in time, it is not a major public health concern.”
The ADPH noted that this was the first case of Alaskapox identified outside the Interior region of Alaska, which could mean the virus is more widespread in the state than previously thought.
“SOE is working with the University of Alaska Museum and CDC to test small mammals for AKPV outside the Interior region,” the agency stated.
Those who suspect they may be infected with Alaskapox can contact the Alaska Section of Epidemiology at 907-269-8000 to facilitate testing and treatment, per the ADPH.
Fox News Digital reached out to the ADPH for additional comment.
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Medical expert analyzes trending IV therapy, concerns about peptides
Dr. Mike Varshavski joins ‘Fox & Friends’ for Wellness Week, examining trending self-care treatments. He evaluates IV vitamin therapy, highlighting its hospital-critical role versus unproven benefits for general wellness, citing potential risks like vitamin imbalance. Dr. Mike also differentiates creatine, a research-backed supplement, from unregulated peptides marketed with unverified anti-aging and muscle growth promises, urging caution for patients.
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We are officially living in the “maxxing” era.
From “looksmaxxing” to improve appearance to “sleepmaxxing” for better rest, these viral terms all point to the same goal: squeezing every ounce of potential out of a specific trait or habit.
With a growing focus on optimizing wellness and maximizing longevity, the trend has evolved into what’s known as “humanmaxxing,” sparking a bigger question: How far can people go to optimize the human body?
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While there is no single definition of humanmaxxing, the trend generally refers to efforts to optimize health, performance and longevity through a combination of lifestyle habits, health tracking, supplements and, in some cases, more experimental interventions.
While there is no single definition of humanmaxxing, the trend generally refers to efforts to optimize health, performance and longevity through a combination of lifestyle habits, health tracking, supplements and, in some cases, more experimental interventions. (iStock)
For some, the movement begins with biohacking. According to Dave Asprey, a Texas-based wellness expert who refers to himself as the “father of biohacking,” optimizing your body starts with changing your environment.
Asprey has defined biohacking as “the art and science of changing the environment around you or inside you so that you have full control of your own biology.”
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His public advice focuses on boosting cellular energy through everyday choices like intermittent fasting, high-fat diets, red-light therapy and supplement routines.
“My goal right now is 180 years, because I’m doing something about it now instead of waiting,” he once said.
Clinical experts warn that extreme self-experimentation skips the rigorous safety checks that typical medical science requires. (iStock)
Others have embraced a more data-driven approach. Tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, creator of the multimillion-dollar longevity project Blueprint in Los Angeles, argues that optimizing the body means removing human error from health decisions and instead relying on medical data.
“Methodically, we sought to build an algorithm with science and data that could better care for me than I can myself,” Johnson wrote on his website. “My mind did not have the authority to override the algorithm.”
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Johnson’s routine involves tracking hundreds of health metrics, eating a precisely measured diet, taking dozens of supplements, and undergoing advanced medical treatments in an effort to reduce his biological age.
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At the far end of the spectrum are those investing in technologies aimed at pushing the limits of human performance.
London-based tech investor Christian Angermayer recently described humanmaxxing as a strategy toward human maximization.
Tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, creator of the multimillion-dollar longevity project Blueprint, argues that optimizing the body means removing human error from health decisions and instead relying on medical data. (iStock)
“I don’t think we should become something different, because I think humans are awesome, but I think we can maximize the potential [that] is already in us,” he said in an interview with The New York Times.
Angermayer’s investment firm, Apeiron Investment Group, focuses on technologies intended to help people “live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives.” He also founded atai Life Sciences, a biotechnology company that develops psychedelic treatments for mental health conditions that are currently being evaluated in clinical trials.
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As interest in humanmaxxing grows, mainstream health experts urge consumers to separate evidence-based wellness practices from experimental interventions.
Public guidance from the National Institute on Aging notes that while some anti-aging therapies have shown promise in laboratory research, there is not yet sufficient evidence that they can safely extend human life.
As interest in humanmaxxing grows, mainstream health experts urge consumers to separate evidence-based wellness practices from experimental interventions. (iStock)
Clinical experts also caution that extreme self-experimentation can bypass the rigorous safety standards applied to conventional medical treatments.
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According to the Endocrine Society, taking substances such as testosterone or growth hormone without a medical need can lead to serious health risks, including cardiovascular complications and long-term disruption of the body’s chemical balance.
While many humanmaxxing habits overlap with standard healthy lifestyle practices, experts say consumers should be cautious of expensive or experimental interventions that promise dramatic anti-aging or longevity benefits without strong scientific evidence.
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A new test could make it easier to detect high-risk prostate cancer cases earlier.
The blood test, called Stockholm3, is showing promise in clinical trials, beating out the traditional, standard prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.
In a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden studied the test’s efficacy in more than 12,000 men — mostly Swedish or European — aged 50 to 74.
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All participants were tested with PSA and Stockholm3 and were followed for two years. During the follow-up period, 443 men were diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer.
Stockholm3 detected 90% of aggressive prostate cancer cases compared to 74% for PSA tests.
Stockholm3 detected 90% of aggressive prostate cancer cases compared to 74% for PSA tests. (iStock)
Stockholm3 missed “significantly fewer” serious cancer cases than PSA. The number of men incorrectly classified as high-risk was similar across both tests, according to a press release.
Thorgerdur Palsdottir, a researcher at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, wrote in a statement that one of the major challenges in prostate cancer is being able to identify the cases that are “truly dangerous.”
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“Our results show that Stockholm3 identifies significantly more aggressive cancer cases than PSA without increasing the number of unnecessary follow-ups,” she said.
“These results point toward a potential change in how prostate cancer screening can be conducted,” the researcher added. “A more precise blood test could enable earlier detection of aggressive disease while reducing the number of unnecessary follow-up examinations and procedures.”
“A more precise blood test could enable earlier detection of aggressive disease while reducing the number of unnecessary follow-up examinations and procedures,” a researcher commented. (iStock)
Study co-author Hari Vigneswaran, chief medical officer of Stockholm3-maker A3P Biomedical, commented on these “promising” findings in an interview with Fox News Digital.
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He confirmed that the PSA has been the standard for prostate cancer screening since the 1990s despite its “well-documented limitations.”
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“It leads to invasive and costly follow-up testing, contributes to over-diagnosis of non-aggressive cancers and, most importantly, it misses a substantial share of aggressive disease,” Vigneswaran said.
When aggressive prostate cancer is found while still confined in the prostate, the five-year survival is close to 100%. (iStock)
When aggressive prostate cancer is found while still confined in the prostate, the five-year survival rate is close to 100%, which highlights the importance of early detection, according to the doctor.
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Data from the National Cancer Institute’s SEER database show that metastatic prostate cancer has risen over the past decade, suggesting that “we have not improved early detection of the aggressive, curable disease that screening is meant to catch,” Vigneswaran said.
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“The goal of screening is to find the cancers that need treatment while they are still curable, without raising the number of men who screen positive but don’t have aggressive disease,” he said.
Stockholm3 could reduce the need for unnecessary MRIs and biopsies, according to the researcher. (Getty Images)
Stockholm3 could reduce the need for unnecessary MRIs and biopsies, according to the researcher.
The findings did have some limitations. Stockholm3 is an investigational device and is not available for sale in the U.S., Vigneswaran noted.
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The test estimates a man’s risk of aggressive prostate cancer, but a biopsy remains the gold standard for confirming the disease.
The company plans to seek FDA approval to use the test for routine screening and will “generate the evidence needed to support that pathway, including U.S. data,” Vigneswaran said.
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