A rare and potentially deadly tick-borne virus is spreading across the US at a record-breaking pace – with cases surging nearly 100% compared to previous years, concerning new health data reveals.
The Powassan virus – which carries a 10% mortality rate in severe cases — infected 76 Americans last year, marking the highest annual total ever recorded, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
By comparison, the US historically averaged just seven to eight confirmed cases each year.
Powassan is most prevalent from late spring through mid-fall, when tick populations peak and outdoor activity increases. ondreicka – stock.adobe.comThough most infections initially trigger mild flu-like symptoms including fever, headaches, vomiting and weakness, in more serious cases, the virus can attack the nervous system.
Some patients experience severe confusion, loss of coordination, difficulty speaking and seizures. Other neurological complications can include encephalitis, which causes brain inflammation, and meningitis, which inflames spinal cord membranes, per the CDC.
Around 10% of patients who develop severe symptoms die.
The virus typically spreads through bites from infected woodchuck ticks or deer ticks.
But experts are most alarmed by how quickly the virus can spread after a tick bite.
There are currently no specific medications or vaccines to treat or prevent Powassan virus. Portland Press Herald via Getty Images“One of the most dangerous aspects is its rapid transmission,” Dr. Jorge P. Parada, a medical advisor at the National Pest Management Association in Chicago, told Fox News.
“Powassan can be transmitted in as little as 15 minutes after the infected tick bites, while Lyme disease usually requires a 36- to 48-hour attachment time for transmission,” Parada explained.
To make matters worse, the virus can incubate silently for one to four weeks before symptoms begin – and in some cases, infected people never develop symptoms at all, according to Marc Siegel, Fox’s senior medical analyst.
Powassan carries an incubation period of one to four weeks before symptoms manifest. Tatiana Shepeleva – stock.adobe.comThat concern is compounded by the fact that there are currently no vaccines or medications to specifically treat or prevent the rare virus. Instead, treatment is limited to supportive therapy like intravenous fluids and respiratory support, according to Fox.
Children, older adults and immunocompromised are at a heightened risk of growing severely ill from the Powassan Virus, the experts warned.
Lyme disease – a tick-borne bacterial infection that’s rarely fatal – still remains much more prevalent in the US during peak tick season, which stretches from late spring to mid-fall, according to Parada.
