Anchorage Hunter Goes To Alaska Peninsula, Shoots & Skins Bear, Cuts Hand, Touches Bear's Mouth...

REPORT FROM ALASKA DEPARTMENT 
OF HEALTH 

Brown Bear (Wikipedia)

Dangerous Germs Led To Swelling, Surgery, Immobile Finger, Joint Issues, Pain... 

He Cut His Hand & Touched Dead Bear's Mouth 

Lengthy, Antibiotic-Resistant Dangerous Disease Affecting Human Cartilage & Bone Transmitted When Young Anchorage Hunter Skinned Brown Bear In Alaska Peninsula 

Report From State Of Alaska Epidemiology 
February 19th, 2026 

Background

Mycoplasma phocimorsus is a recently characterized zoonotic pathogen most often transmitted from seals that can cause severe musculoskeletal infections in humans as well as “seal finger.” First identified in an Alaska Native seal hunter in 2015, M. phocimorsus has since been reported in patients exposed to other animals.1-4 The organism does not grow using standard microbiological methods and is resistant to many empiric antibiotics. Delayed diagnosis is common and can result in joint destruction, functional disability, and avoidable surgical treatment. This Bulletin describes the first documented case of M. phocimorsus infection associated with brown bear (Ursus arctos) exposure in Alaska and highlights key clinical and diagnostic considerations for healthcare providers.

Case Report

In fall 2024, a healthy man in his late 20s presented to an urgent care clinic in Anchorage with redness and painful swelling of his left fifth finger 7 days after sustaining a laceration while skinning a brown bear hunted on the Alaska Peninsula. The injury occurred while separating paw bones. His knife and hand contacted the bear’s mouth prior to injury, with no known exposure to the intestinal tract.

The patient reported 3 days of redness and painful swelling over the proximal interphalangeal joint. He was initially treated with oral trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and topical mupirocin. By day 5 of illness, he developed fever and tachycardia and was admitted to the hospital. Empiric broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics were initiated. Surgical exploration on day 6 revealed necrotic extensor tendon disruption and septic arthritis. Bacterial and fungal cultures were negative. Fever resolved on day 6, and he was discharged on hospital day 8 with a 21-day course of oral trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and amoxicillin-clavulanate.

On day 46, persistent swelling and new imaging findings consistent with osteomyelitis prompted repeat surgical debridement. Extensive cartilage and bone damage were noted intraoperatively. Cultures again remained negative. On day 53, broad-range 16S rDNA sequencing of debrided tissue identified Mycoplasma phocimorsus. The patient completed a 6-week course of oral doxycycline. He recovered without clinical evidence of relapse, although residual limitation in finger mobility persisted. One month later, he showed no signs or symptoms of recurrent infection.

Natural History of Seal Finger

Seal finger, a painful infection of the finger associated with skinning seals, was first documented in humans in the early 1900s and has been reported primarily in boreal coastal environments such as the Baltic Sea.5 The condition is not uncommon in rural Alaska, where it is typically treated empirically without microbiological confirmation.2,7 Several Mycoplasma species, primarily M. phocacerebrale, have been implicated as causative agents. However, M. phocimorsus might be distinct in that several reported cases have progressed to septic arthritis involving joints distant to the presumed inoculation site, suggesting hematogenous dissemination.

Seal finger is clinically rare, and limited awareness among healthcare providers may contribute to delayed diagnoses and treatment, potentially increasing morbidity that could otherwise be mitigated with timely, targeted therapy.7 Diagnostic challenges are further compounded by difficulties in microbiological confirmation, as M. phocimorsus does not grow using standard culture methods.

In Alaska, seal hunting is a legally protected traditional subsistence activity and a primary food source for many coastal Alaska Native communities. Individuals involved in the hunting, processing, or handling seals are therefore at increased risk of M. phocimorsus infection.

No direct seal contact was documented in this case. The harvested brown bear may have acquired infection through exposure to contaminated tissues while scavenging or feeding on an infected seal or other animal, or contact with contaminated objects in the marine environment. Alternatively, it is possible that brown bears might act as natural reservoirs for the bacteria.

Discussion

To our knowledge, this report documents the first confirmed case of M. phocimorsus infection linked to brown bear exposure. To date, only one prior case of M. phocimorsus infection has been documented in Alaska, which was linked to butchering a seal. Recent international reports have implicated both marine mammals and domestic cats as potential sources of infection.3,7

Diagnosis of M. phocimorsus is often delayed due to the organism’s inability to grow on standard culture media and its lack of a peptidoglycan cell wall, making it undetectable on Gram stain. Clinically, infections can resemble more common bacterial soft tissue or joint infections but they characteristically fail to respond to beta-lactams, vancomycin, or sulfonamides. Only doxycycline or moxifloxacin are known to be reliably active against M. phocimorsus. Prompt clinical recognition, coupled with molecular diagnostic testing, is essential to avoid prolonged infection, repeated surgical intervention, and unnecessary morbidity.