A case of the rare Powassan virus was confirmed in Maine for the first time in two years.

 

According to WMTW, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that an adult from southern Maine was hospitalized in New Hampshire. Officials in Maine were told by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services about the positive test for Powassan.

It's a virus humans get by being bitten by an infected deer tick or woodchuck tick. A lot of times people who have Powassan virus don't have symptoms that can include fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, seizures and memory loss, according to the news station.

It's scary because there could also be long term neurological problems like infection of the brain - and yes in some severe cases this can cause death.

Because this is rare and dangerous (on average about 7 cases reported every year in the United States), according to WMTW, the Maine CDC reminds people to follow the No Ticks 4 Me approach:

1.  Wear protective clothing

2.  Use repellent

3.  Perform daily tick checks

4.  Use caution in tick-infested areas

We have so many ticks in Maine that 11 cases of the Powassan virus have been reported since 2000.

Be careful this summer...

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