Powassan Virus—A New Reemerging Tick-Borne Disease

Powassan virus is a neurovirulent flavivirus consisting of two lineages causing meningoencephalitis. It is the only member of the tick-borne encephalitis serogroup which is present in mainland North America.

 We went hunting for a tick that could kill you

Ticks are usually associated with Lyme disease, but Powassan virus is deadly and our lack of knowledge about it is pretty scary.

Deadly Tick-Borne Illness Spreads In NY

The disease has been recognized in the United States, Canada and Russia. In the United States, cases of POW virus have been reported primarily from northeastern states and the Great Lakes region, according to the CDC. As with other tick-borne illnesses, there is no vaccine for the Powassan virus. Cases occur primarily in the late spring, early summer and mid-fall when ticks are most active.

Maine Confirmed Its First Case of a Rare Tick-Borne Virus in Years. Here's What to Know About Powassan

Like Lyme disease, Powassan is spread by the bite of an infected tick, which typically picks up the virus after feeding on animals carrying it in their blood. Powassan, however, is far rarer than Lyme disease in the U.S.

Lyme Isn't the Only Disease Ticks are Spreading This Summer

At some point along its manifest destiny tour, Ixodes scapularis, the blacklegged, or deer tick, seems to have picked up POW. Maybe it was in a skunk burrow or a badger den—historically, POW is carried around by a different kind of tick that prefers members of the weasel family.

Powassan -- Tick-Borne Terror Virus Or Too Much Media Hype?

Powassan is a virus, related to West Nile flavivirus, and is transmitted by ticks. While it is rare—diagnosed less than 50 times in the past 10 years—it is scary because it can cause encephalitis, or a brain infection. More often, people who are infected develop no symptoms, but surveys show that about 1-4% of people in endemic areas show antibodies to the virus, indicating past exposure without illness.

Powassan Virus Is the Scary New Reason to Avoid Ticks

Lyme disease isn't the only tick-borne illness that can come from a walk in the woods. Health experts are warning that another pathogen, Powassan virus, can cause dangerous inflammation in the brain and may be transmitted to humans much faster than Lyme. While it is rare, a recent study of ticks in Maine, along with a few widely reported cases of human infection, suggest that it may be becoming more common.

Rare, tick-borne Powassan virus worries some experts about possible spread

Few have heard of Powassan virus, but it’s been around for a long time. The first reported case was in the 1950s in Ontario, said Durland Fish, a professor emeritus of epidemiology and microbiology at the Yale School of Public Health. It wasn't considered a big problem then because the virus had been transmitted by a tick that rarely bit human beings, Fish said. But that changed when it appeared in deer ticks.

The Rise of Powassan Virus

Powassan is spreading due to the expansion in the range of deer ticks. Because deer ticks can now transmit Powassan virus infection to humans, cases are being reported in areas where they have never occurred before. As the geographic range of Lyme disease expands, so will Powassan.

Tick and Powassan Virus Update

As with any high-profile story, misinformation and widespread speculation can muddy the facts, create confusion, and lead to unnecessary panic. We want to take the opportunity to provide you some basic information regarding ticks and tick-transmitted diseases, including Powassan virus.

What is the Powassan virus (and should you worry)?

Warm weather brings worries of tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease. But a lesser-known virus called Powassan — also spread by ticks — is making headlines. The disease is very rare, but it can be life threatening.

Why you shouldn’t worry about the tick borne Powassan virus in New Jersey

So even if we do see a couple of cases of Powassan here and there, let’s just all relax. We’ll take our precautions, we’ll try to avoid it, and then like every other threat in New Jersey from West Nile to Zika, to high taxes and terrorism, we will live our lives trying not to let the ticks, or the terrorists, win.