ATLANTA, June 23 (Our Illinois Times) — A rare tick-borne virus that can damage the brain may be transmitted within minutes of a tick bite, leaving little time once a tick has attached, according to federal health sources.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Powassan virus spreads to people through infected ticks and remains rare, even as reported cases have increased in recent years. The agency says most U.S. cases have been reported in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions, especially during the tick season from late spring through mid-fall.
CDC guidance says early symptoms can include fever, headache, vomiting and weakness. In more severe cases, the infection can cause encephalitis or meningitis and lead to confusion, loss of coordination, speech problems, seizures, paralysis and other neurologic deficits.
The CDC says there are no vaccines to prevent Powassan virus disease and no medicines to treat it. For neuroinvasive disease, the agency says about 10% of patients die and about half of survivors have long-lasting neurologic problems.
The CDC says older adults, children and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for neuroinvasive disease. A U.S. military public-health page says studies show transmission can occur in as little as 15 minutes of feeding, and a peer-reviewed case report found evidence that human infection can happen after brief tick attachment.
Powassan virus is the only tick-borne encephalitis virus found in the United States, according to the Defense Centers for Public Health–Aberdeen. The CDC also says the virus can rarely be spread through blood transfusion.
