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What is Alaskapox? Symptoms to know after death brings attention to virus
News that an elderly man in Alaska has died from Alaskapox — the first known fatality, according to state health officials — has brought newfound attention to the recently discovered virus.
The man, who lived in the remote Kenai Peninsula and had a suppressed immune system due to cancer treatments, was hospitalized in November and died in late January, according to a bulletin released Friday by Alaska public health officials.
Alaskapox, also known as AKPV, is part of a group of viruses called orthopoxviruses, which infect mammals and cause skin lesions, according to the Alaska Department of Health.
First discovered in 2015, Alaskapox is related to smallpox, cowpox and mpox, officials said.
Though it’s unclear how the man contracted the virus, officials said it’s possible that it could be linked to a stray cat that lived with him.
The news comes as health officials in Oregon recently confirmed a rare case of human plague in a resident who was likely infected by their pet cat.
Alaskapox symptoms
The Alaska Department of Health said symptoms of Alaskapox can include:
- One or more skin lesions
- Rash
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Joint or muscle pain
“Several Alaskapox patients initially thought they had a spider or insect bite,” the health department notes.
Dr. Joe McLaughlin, state epidemiologist and chief of the Alaska Section of Epidemiology at the Alaska Department of Health, told CBS News that the general recommendation in Alaska is to see your healthcare provider if you have a lesion that looks like it could be Alaskapox.
“Even if their symptoms are mild, we want to do a better job of characterizing the burden of illness that’s occurring in humans associated with this virus,” he said. “And anybody who has underlying medical conditions or is immunocompromised might be at increased risk for more severe infection, so getting in to see a health care provider early for those folks especially, is going to be important to make sure that they are given the correct advice and perhaps started on treatment to help prevent progression.”
Alaska Department of Health via AP
How does Alaskapox spread?
It’s unclear exactly how Alaskapox is transmitted, but researchers said it may be zoonotic, meaning it can jump from animals to humans.
In the bulletin about the AKPV-caused death, officials said tests found evidence of current or previous infection in several species of small mammals in the Fairbanks area, including red-backed voles and at least one domestic pet.
While the cat tested negative for the virus, it “regularly hunted small mammals and frequently scratched the patient,” the bulletin said, meaning it’s possible the cat had the virus on its claws when it scratched him.
The bulletin said a “notable” scratch near the armpit area where the first symptom — a red lesion — was noted.
How to protect against Alaskapox
In addition to taking precautions around wildlife to avoid potential Alaskapox infections, officials also recommend being cautious of skin lesions that may have been caused by the virus.
“To date, no human-to-human transmission of Alaskapox virus has been documented. However, since certain orthopoxviruses can be transmitted through direct contact with skin lesions, we recommend that people with skin lesions possibly caused by Alaskapox keep the affected area covered with a bandage,” the Alaska Department of Health said.
Officials also recommend to avoid sharing bedding or other linens that have come into contact with the lesion.
McLaughlin said officials haven’t seen any evidence yet of domestic pets showing specific signs or symptoms of Alaskapox virus infection.
“It’s not to say that that couldn’t happen — certainly pet owners should be aware if they have a pet that has lesions or open wounds. Have a low threshold for bringing their pet into see a veterinarian for evaluation,” he said.
How common is Alaskapox?
Only six other cases of the virus have been reported to Alaska health officials since the first one in 2015. All involved people were living in the Fairbanks area, more than 300 miles from the Kenai Peninsula, according to health officials.
Nearly all patients had mild illnesses that resolved on their own, without being hospitalized, after a few weeks. Immunocompromised people might be at increased risk for more severe illness, officials said.
Richard Reithinger, infectious disease epidemiologist at nonprofit research institute RTI International, said the distribution of Alaskapox virus seems limited to Alaska at this time.
“It is unlikely that anyone outside of the Fairbanks area would come into contact with the virus,” he said, making the risk of Alaskapox virus “being or becoming a major public health concern is very low.”
With increased awareness around Alaskapox, it’s possible officials will see more cases reported, said Julia Rogers, epidemic intelligence service officer with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adding, “we don’t have evidence that anyone outside of Alaska is at risk of Alaskapox.”
“But we do need to do a lot more animal sampling and testing to get a better idea of what this virus looks like in the animal population throughout throughout Alaska and potentially beyond,” she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
TD Bank will pay $3 billion in penalties after admitting that it failed to adequately guard against money laundering as well as violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, federal authorities said Thursday.
Over a nearly 10-year period dating back to 2014, TD Bank had “long-term, pervasive and systemic deficiencies” in its anti-money laundering policies and controls, according to legal documents cited by the Department of Justice.
TD Bank, which is the 10th largest bank in the U.S., failed to take action despite government regulators and the company’s own internal auditors repeatedly pointing to potential issues with its procedures to detect suspicious transactions, the agency said.
Between January 2014 and October 2023, TD Bank failed to monitor $18.3 trillion in customer activity, leading to extensive money laundering, regulators said.
“TD Bank created an environment that allowed financial crime to flourish,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said.
Representatives for TD Bank, a subsidiary of Canada’s Toronto-Dominion Bank, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“These failures enabled three money laundering networks to collectively transfer more than $670 million through TD Bank accounts between 2019 and 2023,” the Justice Department said in a news release.
In one scheme that lasted for more than three years, criminals gave TD Bank workers gift cards worth more than $57,000 to ensure the employees would process their transactions, including suspicious cash deposits in excess of $10,000, the agency said.
As part of the settlement, TD Bank will pay a fine of $1.8 billion to the Justice Department; $1.3 billion to FinCen, a bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department; and $450 million to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which regulates the company.
contributed to this report.
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The high-rate landscape hasn’t been particularly friendly to borrowers over the last couple of years. Until recently, the federal funds rate remained stuck at a 23-year high, making it tough to find good, affordable borrowing options. But inflation has cooled significantly in recent months and the Federal Reserve made its first rate cut in four years late last month. That, in turn, has pushed down rates on certain lending products and helped to ease some of the burden on borrowers.
As a result, borrowers may currently have a wider pool of borrowing options to choose from — and two of the more popular choices right now are credit cards and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs). Both of these options offer borrowers access to a line of credit that can be borrowed from, repaid and then used again up to the credit limit, giving them more flexibility than they’d get with a lump-sum personal loan or home equity loan.
But despite their similarities, a HELOC is likely the better choice for most borrowers right now. Below, we’ll why.
See what HELOC interest rate you could secure here.
Why you should use a HELOC instead of a credit card now
If you’re a homeowner with equity in your home, you may want to opt for a HELOC over a credit card today for the following reasons:
HELOC rates are sitting at 52-week lows
One of the most compelling reasons to use a HELOC over a credit card is the current state of interest rates. This week, the average HELOC rate dropped to 8.73%, which is the lowest it has been in over a year. This 20-basis-point decline is largely due to the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut interest rates in late September. Since HELOC rates are closely tied to the Federal Reserve’s rate decisions, they often reflect any cuts or increases more quickly than other types of loans. For homeowners who are looking to borrow, this is an opportune time to take advantage of these lower rates.
In contrast, credit card interest rates have soared to record highs, with the average rate now sitting at a staggering 23%. This is a massive difference when compared to the rates available on HELOCs. So, if you’re facing a major expense or considering consolidating your credit card debt, tapping into a HELOC at these low rates can result in substantial savings over time compared to using a credit card.
Find out how affordable a HELOC could be today.
Home equity levels are at an all-time high
Another reason to consider using a HELOC instead of a credit card is the substantial amount of home equity that many homeowners have built up. Right now, the average homeowner’s equity stake is sitting at an all-time high of $327,000. This is a notable increase of about $28,000 compared to earlier in the year. This growth in home values means that many homeowners now have more financial flexibility, with the ability to tap into their home’s equity at favorable rates.
When it comes to accessible equity — the amount you can borrow against while still maintaining a healthy 20% equity cushion — the average homeowner now has $214,000 available. This is an 11% increase compared to earlier in 2024, offering significant borrowing potential for those who need to finance large expenses or consolidate higher-interest debt. Tapping into this equity via a HELOC allows you to borrow at a much lower rate than what credit cards offer, making it a smarter option for managing debt or funding major projects.
HELOC rates automatically adjust over time
Another advantage of using a HELOC instead of a credit card is that HELOC rates are variable and can adjust with future rate cuts. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to cut rates again in both November and December and possibly further into 2025. This means that if you take out a HELOC now, your interest rate could drop even further in time, making it an even more attractive option for borrowing. So while a variable rate might seem risky at first glance, the current economic climate suggests that borrowing costs will continue to decline, letting you lock in lower rates as they happen.
Credit card rates, on the other hand, tend to remain high regardless of what happens with the Federal Reserve, as they’re driven primarily by the prime rate. So even if the Fed continues to lower rates, you’re unlikely to see a major reduction in your credit card interest rate. This makes credit card debt far more expensive in the long run, with fewer opportunities to reduce your interest burden. By contrast, a HELOC offers flexibility and the potential for lower rates in the future, which can make a big difference when managing large sums of debt or financing significant expenses.
The bottom line
With HELOC rates at 52-week lows and credit card rates at record highs, now is an ideal time to consider switching from using a credit card debt to a HELOC. Not only will you benefit from much lower interest rates, but you’ll also have the potential to take advantage of future rate cuts, making a HELOC a smarter and more cost-effective financial tool in the current economic environment.
