[ti:Recent Death Brings Attention to Alaskapox Virus]
[by:www.21voa.com]
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[00:00.04]Health officials in the American state of Alaska
[00:04.84]have known for nine years
[00:07.04]about a virus causing rare, mild illness.
[00:12.68]But a recent case that resulted in a man's death
[00:17.44]has brought new attention
[00:19.76]to what is being called the Alaskapox virus.
[00:24.64]Here's some background on the virus:
[00:28.56]Alaskapox belongs to the family of orthopoxviruses
[00:35.00]that can infect animals and humans.
[00:39.00]These viruses usually cause lesions,
[00:43.76]or pox, on the skin.
[00:46.20]Some are more dangerous than others.
[00:50.44]Smallpox is the best-known member
[00:54.00]of the orthopoxvirus family.
[00:57.92]Others include camelpox, cowpox, horsepox
[01:04.40]and mpox (formerly known as monkeypox).
[01:10.48]Alaskapox was discovered in 2015
[01:15.16]in a woman who lived near Fairbanks, Alaska.
[01:19.24]It mainly has been found in small mammals,
[01:23.68]including red-backed voles and shrews.
[01:28.40]But house animals, such as dogs and cats,
[01:32.88]can carry the virus, health officials say.
[01:37.96]Seven people in Alaska
[01:40.60]have become infected with it
[01:43.08]in the last nine years.
[01:45.64]People with Alaskapox
[01:48.76]have developed one or more bumps on the skin.
[01:52.96]They also experience joint, or muscle pain
[01:57.72]and swollen parts of the body called lymph nodes.
[02:03.12]Nearly all patients had mild sickness
[02:06.96]that went away after a few weeks.
[02:10.44]But people with weak immune systems
[02:14.52]can be at risk of more severe sickness.
[02:18.48]Officials believe Alaskapox spreads
[02:22.36]through contact with infected animals.
[02:27.56]There has been no documented case of it spreading
[02:31.48]from one person to another.
[02:35.08]But other viruses in the same family
[02:38.36]can spread when one person comes in contact
[02:42.72]with another person's lesions.
[02:46.16]So, Alaskan health officials
[02:49.84]are advising anyone with an Alaskapox lesion
[02:54.44]to cover it with a bandage.
[02:58.52]Alaska health officials say
[03:01.24]there have been seven people infected
[03:04.20]with Alaskapox since the virus was discovered.
[03:09.60]But the latest case represents the first time
[03:13.64]someone is known to have died from it.
[03:17.80]The older man lived on the Kenai Peninsula.
[03:22.24]He was being treated for cancer
[03:25.96]and had a suppressed immune system
[03:29.44]because of the drugs.
[03:32.48]In September, he found a red sore
[03:36.00]under his right armpit
[03:38.00]and saw doctors over the next two months
[03:41.80]because of tiredness and burning pain.
[03:46.40]Alaska public health officials said
[03:49.68]he was hospitalized in November
[03:53.04]and died last month.
[03:56.56]The man lived in a forested area
[03:59.60]away from any town and did not travel.
[04:04.28]They said he had been repeatedly scratched
[04:07.48]by a cat that hunted small animals,
[04:11.52]and one of the scratches was in the area
[04:15.44]of the man's armpit, officials said.
[04:19.36]Health officials believe that Alaskapox is rare.
[04:24.32]That said, wildlife can carry infection risks
[04:30.12]and should not be kept at home.
[04:33.52]The best way to keep pets and family members safe
[04:37.64]is to keep a safe distance
[04:40.44]and wash your hands after being outdoors.
[04:45.60]I'm Mario Ritter, Jr. 更多听力请访问21VOA.COM