ATLANTA, June 23 (Our Illinois Times) — Powassan virus remains rare in the United States, but public-health officials say it can be passed by an infected tick after only a brief attachment, a detail that matters for anyone spending time outdoors in tick season.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says reported Powassan cases have increased in recent years, with most illnesses occurring in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions during the late spring through mid-fall months when ticks are most active.
CDC guidance says early symptoms can include fever, headache, vomiting and weakness. In severe cases, the infection can move into the brain or spinal cord and lead to encephalitis or meningitis, along with confusion, loss of coordination, speech problems, seizures and paralysis.
The CDC says Powassan neuroinvasive disease is fatal in about 10% of cases and that about half of survivors have long-lasting neurologic problems. The agency also says older adults, children and people with weakened immune systems face higher risk of severe disease.
A CDC-linked public-health page from the Defense Centers for Public Health–Aberdeen says studies show Powassan can be transmitted in as little as 15 minutes of feeding. A peer-reviewed case report and review articles in the medical literature say transmission can occur within hours of attachment.
CDC says there is no vaccine to prevent Powassan virus disease and no medicine to treat it. The virus is spread by infected ticks, including blacklegged ticks, groundhog ticks and squirrel ticks, and it can rarely be spread through blood transfusion.
