Just how likely is it that you'll transmit a lethal tick-borne virus these spring and summer seasons? Well the odds are in your favor, as lethal viruses that use ticks as a vector are fairly rare, but if you live in Northeast and Upper Midwest of the United States, your chances may be much higher than ever before.
Though Lyme Disease is the most common of these sorts of viruses, a new virus known as "Powassan" has recently emerged and health officials fear that this season they may see yet another surge in tick-related deaths. Originally discovered two years ago in Warren County, New Jersey when a woman developed symptoms akin to Lyme disease in May 2013, but then died days later. After her death an autopsy revealed swelling of the brain, known as "encephalitis", which was deemed the cause of death in the rare case. But now researchers and the state Department of Health are saying that it was an altogether new virus that caused the death, and unlike Lyme disease, whose symptoms often are acute in nature, Powassan can be fatal in cases such as these.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Powassan continues to be a rare virus, only causing a reported average of six deaths per year, however, it is a viral pathogen that is on the rise. Originally discovered in the municipality of Ontario, Canada, researchers didn't think too much of the almost non-existent threat a decade ago. But now that it has crossed into the United States, the CDC and local health officials are taking notice, and are informing the public on how they can stay safe and Powassan-free.
Because of the long-term neurological damage and deaths associated with the virus, local agencies and the CDC have sought out answers to what they thought may be the source of the problem-the ticks. But what they found was that there may be a far larger threat than they ever considered before.
Hunterdon County Public Health Division Director, Tadgh Rainey says that there are more ticks than local health agencies ever thought before, and that with so many vectors the Powassan virus may become "more adaptable" over time.
Sourcing the virus back to the vector, Rainey and researchers with the CDC revealed that one form of the virus can be found in groundhog ticks, rampant in the Northeast, and in deer ticks that are common across the United States. This zoonotic virus can cross from the animals playing host to the tick to humans, though researchers have yet to confirm if both strains are equally as lethal in human hosts.
"I never want to make anyone scared, but it's important to be vigilant" Rainey says. Unlike Lyme disease, Powassan can be easily transmitted only hours after being bit by a tick, so Rainey and other health agencies are asking the public to wear long-sleeves when spending time outdoors, and to check vigilantly for ticks that may attach themselves to the body.
