ATLANTA, June 23 (Our Illinois Times) — A tick bite can turn serious quickly if the tick is carrying Powassan virus, a rare infection that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says has been reported more often in recent years.
The CDC says Powassan virus can cause brain inflammation, including encephalitis and meningitis, and may lead to confusion, loss of coordination, speech problems, seizures and paralysis. The Defense Centers for Public Health–Aberdeen says studies show the virus can be transmitted in as little as 15 minutes of tick feeding.
The CDC says most U.S. cases have been reported in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions, with infections more common during tick season from late spring through mid-fall. The agency says the main tick carriers are the blacklegged, groundhog and squirrel ticks.
Early symptoms can include fever, headache, vomiting and weakness, according to the CDC. The agency says older adults, children and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for neuroinvasive disease.
There is no vaccine to prevent Powassan virus disease and no medicine to treat it, the CDC says. For severe neuroinvasive illness, the agency says about 10% of patients die and about half of survivors have long-lasting neurologic problems.
The Defense health page says Powassan virus was first identified in 1958 in Ontario and the first U.S. case was diagnosed in New Jersey in 1970. It says the CDC has counted about 397 reported U.S. cases from 2004 through 2024.
