3rd Powassan Virus Death This Year Reported in the Connecticut; How Can This Tick-Borne Disease be Prevented?

The Connecticut Department of Public Health recently reported a second infection case of the Powassan virus or POWV this year.

A Fox 5 New York report specified that the patient, an elderly New London County woman in her 90s, died from the virus. She is the third identified death in the state resulting from tick-borne disease.

A Connecticut woman has died of Powassan virus, a tick borne illness. https://t.co/EvvIj8jOEv
— FOX 5 NY (@fox5ny) June 9, 2022

She fell ill in early May and was confined at a hospital with fever, changed mental status, chills, headache, rigors, nausea, and chest pain. The older woman's condition worsened, and she turned unresponsive over the next couple of weeks and eventually died on May 17.

The unidentified woman did have an identified tick bite which was removed two weeks before the symptoms appeared.

ALSO READ: Unlike Honeybees, Solitary Bees are Born with Functional Internal Clock, Study Finds

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/John Tann)
Powassan virus is typically transmitted through the bite of an infected black-legged or deer tick.

POWV in Connecticut

According to a USA Today via the MSN report, laboratory tests carried out at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Laboratory in Ft. Collins, Colorado, confirmed the presence of antibodies to the Powassan virus.

The first patient diagnosed with the said virus in 2022 was a man from Windham County in his 50s who fell ill in late March. He was also admitted to a hospital with a central nervous system disease and had a known tick bite. He was later sent home from the hospital and recovered thereafter.

Between 2017 and 2021, 12 cases of Powassan virus-associated diseases were reported in Connecticut, including three in 2021. Out of those 12 cases during the said years, two individuals died.

Powassan Virus

Essentially, the Powassan virus is typically transmitted through the bite of an infected black-legged or deer tick.

Moreover, it takes one week to a month after the bite from an infected tick develops and shows symptoms of POWV, and the virus can be spread and transmitted as quickly as 15 minutes after the tick first attaches.

While most people infected with the Powassan virus likely encounter no symptoms or a mild flu-like illness, some individuals will develop a severe disease that affects the central nervous system.

Roughly one out of 10 cases of severe disease are deadly, and around half of survivors are experiencing long-term health problems.

Severe cases may start with fever, headache, vomiting, or weakness and quickly develop into confusion, difficulty speaking, loss of coordination, or seizure.

Unfortunately, there is no vaccine or specific treatment for POWV-associated diseases. Severe illness is treated by supportive therapy, which may include respiratory support, hospitalization, and hydration.

How to Prevent Tick Bites that Possibly Cause POWV

As stated in the press release by the Connecticut State Department of Health, tick bites that may cause POWV can be prevented by avoiding areas where ticks are likely to be, like in bushy, grassy, or wooded places.

These tiny creatures are most active from spring to fall, although they may be active, as well, on warmer days during winter.

The state's health department has also recommended considering the use of CDC-recommended mosquito repellants containing DEET, lemon eucalyptus oil, DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or 2-undecanone, and apply as indicated in the directions, when outdoors.

It is also essential to self-check and has the children checked for ticks shortly after coming indoors. Showering within two hours of coming indoors may be an effective approach, too, in alleviating the risk of tick-borne disease.

Health experts advise carefully examining clothes, pets, and gear after coming indoors. To kill ticks carried inside, tumble dry clothing for 10 minutes. Lastly, talk to a veterinarian about the best tick prevention products for pets.

Related information about the Powassan virus in Connecticut is shown on WSBF 3's YouTube video below: