At the end of August, Åza Karlsson Mainell, 49, discovered sores and lumps on the cat Boris.
He quickly became so ill that the family was forced to euthanize him.
Shortly after that, Åza developed a high fever – and large, sore pimples on her face.
– I thought it was a lot of work, because I was so ugly, she says.
It started when Åza Karlsson Mainell, 49, from Falun found a strange, black wound above the cat Boris’s leg. It turned out to be necrosis, i.e. dead tissue.
– The vet said: “This is calm. We just have to cut this out”, says Åza Karlsson Mainell.
The article in brief
Åza Karlsson Mainell’s cat Boris died in September, after contracting the cowpox virus from a rodent.
Cowpox is a zoonosis, that is, a disease that can be transmitted between animals and humans.
Shortly after Boris fell ill, Åza Karlsson Mainell also fell ill. She developed large, tender boils on her chin. Humans being affected by cowpox infection is very rare.
But Boris quickly got worse.
– One of his front legs, where he had the wound, swelled up and he received antibiotics. After a few days, small sores started to appear on the face. When I petted him, I felt that he had lumps on his ears. I thought it was very strange.
After a return visit to the vet, the family received heavy news. They had found more sores and nodules.
– They said: “No, this doesn’t work, we can’t save him.” He was only three years old. It’s sad, says Åza Karlsson Mainell.
The vet suspected that Boris had suffered from an infection caused by the cowpox virus. Cats can be infected by the virus after contact with rodents and usually get skin changes or sores. Most cats do not become seriously ill, according to the Norwegian Veterinary Institute.
Cats can also transmit the infection to humans. Cowpox virus infection is a so-called zoonosis, that is, a disease that can spread between animals and humans.
Big pimples on the face
The day after Boris was euthanized, Mother began to feel unwell.
– I said to my husband: “I’m really sore in the lymph nodes under my chin”. It was strange that they swelled up for no reason, because I didn’t have a cold or the flu.
Åza Karlsson Mainell, who first told about the incident for SVT Nyheter Dalarna, booked an appointment at the health centre.
– A stressed doctor came in and said: “No, you just have a cold virus. It’s okay.”
The next day – a day before the family was due to go on holiday in Spain for three weeks – she became even sicker.
– I got really bad and went to the emergency room. I had a fever of 39.3 degrees and my chin was red. The first cup had arrived and was already a little black. So it was just a matter of canceling the trip. Then it escalated.
Åza Karlsson Mainell got several large pimples on her face – which itched, stung and hurt. She says the lymph nodes were “the size of golf balls”. Åza was scared and frustrated because no doctor could give clear information about the course of the disease.
– I thought it was a lot of work, because I was so ugly. When I passed a mirror at home, I thought, “This is terrible, what’s going on?”
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– I received no information whatsoever. One doctor admitted: “I had to Google before I went in to see you.”
Very rare disease
It is very rare for people to be affected by cowpox. There are only twelve known cases in Sweden. At the same time, specialist doctors believe that the disease is underdiagnosed, according to an article in Läkartidningen.
For about two weeks, Åza Karlsson Mainell was really ill. Because cowpox is a viral disease, there was no curative treatment available.
– It was really day by day. But after about two weeks, I felt things start to turn around. Then I got my appetite back and could eat again. So it was nice.
She was on sick leave for a month. Today the smallpox has healed.
– I’m still very red. We don’t know what kind of scar I will get or how long this red will stay in. Right now it feels like yes – if I get a scar, then that’s it. Considering how I’ve been looking, I’m happy.
This is what Åza Karlsson Mainell usually looks like.
Photo: Private
Advice: Good hand hygiene
To prevent infection between cats and humans, one must be careful with hand hygiene when caring for wounds, writes the Norwegian Veterinary Institute on its website.
– Perhaps you can be more observant and careful if you see any wounds or lumps on your animal. Perhaps, with hindsight, I was a bit careless. But I could never have thought that I would get a kind of bubonic plague on my face, says Åza Karlsson Mainell.
