Eivind Ertesvag 
At the end of August, Åza Karlsson Mainell, 49, discovered sores and lumps on her cat Boris.
He quickly became so ill that the family was forced to put him down.
Shortly afterward, Åza developed a high fever – and large, painful pox-like lesions on her face.
– I thought it was really hard, because I felt so ugly, she says.
It started with a strange wound
Åza Karlsson Mainell from Falun noticed a strange, black wound above one of her cat Boris’ legs. It turned out to be necrosis – dead tissue.
– The veterinarian said: “This is calm. We just need to cut this away,” Åza Karlsson Mainell explains.
But Boris’ condition quickly worsened.
– One of his front legs, where the wound was, became swollen and he was given antibiotics. After a few days, small sores started appearing on his face. When I petted him, I felt lumps on his ears. I thought it was very strange.
At a follow-up visit, the family received devastating news. More sores and lumps had appeared.
– They said: “No, this won’t work. We can’t save him.” He was only three years old. It’s tragic, Åza Karlsson Mainell says.
Boris never recovered and was euthanized.
The day after – she became ill
The day after Boris was put down, Åza began feeling unwell.
– I said to my husband: “My lymph nodes under my chin are really sore.” It was strange that they swelled for no reason, because I didn’t have a cold or the flu.
Åza, who had first spoken about the events to SVT Nyheter Dalarna, booked an appointment at the health clinic.
– A stressed doctor came in and said: “No, you just have a cold virus. It’s fine.”
The very next day – one day before the family was due to leave for a three-week vacation in Spain – she became much worse.
– I became really ill and went to the emergency room. I had a fever of 39.3°C and redness on my chin. The first pox lesion had appeared and was already turning black. So we had to cancel the trip. After that, it escalated.
Large pox lesions on her face
Åza developed several large pox-like lesions on her face that itched, stung, and were painful. Her lymph nodes were “as big as golf balls.” She felt frightened and frustrated because no doctor could give clear information about how the disease would progress.
– I thought it was really hard, because I felt so ugly. When I passed a mirror at home, I thought: “This is horrible, what is happening?”
– I received no information at all. One doctor admitted: “I had to Google before coming in to see you.”
An extremely rare disease
Humans contracting cowpox is extremely rare. There are only twelve known cases in Sweden. At the same time, specialists believe the disease is underdiagnosed, according to an article in Läkartidningen.
For about two weeks, Åza Karlsson Mainell was seriously ill. Because cowpox is a viral disease, there was no curative treatment available.
– It really was day by day. But after about two weeks, I felt it starting to turn. I got my appetite back and could eat again. That was a relief.
She was on sick leave for a month. Today, the lesions have healed.
– I’m still very red. We don’t know what kind of scars I’ll have or how long the redness will remain. Right now, it feels like – if I get a scar, then so be it. Considering how I looked before, I’m grateful.
Advice: Good hand hygiene
To prevent infection between cats and humans, good hand hygiene during wound care is essential, according to the Swedish National Veterinary Institute.
– You might want to be more observant and cautious if you notice a wound or lump on your animal. Looking back, I may have been a bit careless. But I never could have imagined that this would happen.
