A 29-year-old Alaskan hunter contracted seal finger, a rare bacterial infection, after cutting his finger while skinning a brown bear in fall 2024. The case marks the first documented instance of the disease associated with a brown bear rather than marine mammals, according to the Alaska Department of Health.

Initially misdiagnosed as a common bacterial infection, the hunter's condition worsened despite antibiotic treatment. DNA sequencing later identified Mycoplasma phocimorsus as the pathogen, a bacteria that doesn't show up in standard cultures and resists many antibiotics. The hunter required hospitalization and extensive treatment before recovering.

Health officials warn that coastal brown bears often feed on washed-up marine mammals, making the transmission plausible. The case highlights the challenges in diagnosing seal finger, which has historically been mistaken for other infections. Taxidermist Skip Scott, who contracted the disease in the 1960s, notes that doctors once considered amputation the only effective treatment.