Virologist Alexander Chepurnov, head of the laboratory of especially dangerous infections of the Federal Research Center for Medical and Technical Medicine, expressed his opinion about the new alascapox virus. He believes that the threat from this virus is exaggerated and is not as serious as COVID-19.
According to Chepurnov, most of these viruses do not pose a danger to people. The infection can only occur in people with weakened immune systems. He also pointed out that the information noise around Alaskapox is associated with post-Covid epidemiological panic and an emotional mood in society, writes ridus.ru.
The virologist noted that in Russia there are other more real threats associated with smallpox. Permafrost contains burials of people who suffered from smallpox at the beginning of the last century. Since the smallpox virus is very persistent and can survive in frozen conditions, there is a possibility that an active virus will be found.
Earlier it became known about the first death from Alaskapox. There is an assumption that the source of the infection could be the cat of the deceased person, but the test results for the virus in the animal were negative. It is also noted that the deceased man had a weakened immune system.
Alaskapox, which was discovered in Alaska in 2015, is related to other orthopox viruses such as smallpox, cowpox and monkeypox. Epidemiologists confirm that the virus primarily infects animals. In Alaska, only six people have been confirmed infected with AKPV, all of whom had contact with animals.
Source: Rosbalt
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
