Featured Sponsor
| Store | Link | Sample Product |
|---|---|---|
| UK Artful Impressions | Premiere Etsy Store |
 |
By Cara Murez
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, May 25, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Robert Weymouth, 58, of Portland, Maine, died this year from a tick bite.
You’ve probably heard of Lyme disease and the problems it can cause when transmitted to a human through a deer tick bite. But Lyme isn’t the only tick-borne disease in the woods.
Powassan virus, a rare and intractable infection, is also transmitted by ticks. That’s the bite that led to fatal complications in the case of this Maine trucker.
Weymouth, Powassan’s third death since 2015 in Maine and the first this year, likely contracted the virus in the state, according to the Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He developed neurological symptoms and died at the hospital.
His widow, Annemarie Weymouth, is now warning others about how to protect themselves from the disease.
“He was there, but he couldn’t move his body. He could point to words on a blackboard. He pointed to ‘scared,’ ‘afraid,’ ‘frustrated,'” Weymouth said. CBS News.
Certain unknown case numbers
“Because it’s relatively rare to make the diagnosis, there’s a lot we don’t know,” said Dr. Eugene Shapiro, a professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at Yale University.
But this is what is known:
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received 189 reports of Powassan infection between 2012 and 2021.
Most Powassan virus cases in the US occur in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions. Maine had four cases last year alone.
Although ticks are arachnids like spiders, the virus is not that different from some mosquito-borne viruses, such as dengue and Zika. Other than being transmitted by a tick, the Powassan virus “is nothing like Lyme disease,” Shapiro said.
The Powassan virus is closely related to something called tick-borne encephalitis, which is a virus seen particularly in Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia, Shapiro said.
The Powassan virus severely affects only a small number of people each year. But many others may be asymptomatic or have minor or flu-like symptoms and go undiagnosed.
The virus got its name from its discovery in a 5-year-old boy who died from the virus in the late 1950s in Powassan, Ontario, Canada.
Experts believe that it used to be transmitted mainly by the marmot tick, which did not normally feed on humans. Instead, it preyed primarily on skunks, groundhogs and squirrels, Shapiro said.
At some point, it moved onto deer ticks, and those are ticks that commonly bite humans.
brain swelling
There are still many mysteries to be unraveled in relation to the Powassan virus. For example, while some research has suggested that as many as 5% of deer ticks in some areas of Connecticut are positive for the virus, that’s not reflected in the high numbers of human Powassan infection, Shapiro said.
But cases are rising, according to CDC figures, said Dr. Nicole Baumgarth, an immunologist at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. However, it’s not clear if more people are actually getting infected or if doctors are testing more frequently, she said.
“There is no treatment, other than a kind of general support for a person who has the disease,” Baumgarth said. “The most serious disease associated with Powassan is inflammation of the brain, or encephalitis, but not everyone who becomes infected with this virus will develop these severe cases.”
Other symptoms may include fever, chills, fatigue, rash on the trunk of the body, muscle weakness, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and a stiff neck, according to Yale Medicine.
However, the vast majority of those infected will likely have no or minor symptoms and go undiagnosed.
For those who have symptoms severe enough to be diagnosed, usually with encephalitis, the mortality rate ranges from 10% to 30%, Shapiro said.
Keep in mind, however, that it is rare. “It’s a little scary, but it’s a rare disease,” Baumgarth said.
With Lyme disease, the tick must remain attached for about a day to transmit the infection. Removing the mark quickly puts you at low risk of infection. If more time has passed, a single dose of doxycycline is moderately effective in preventing infections. However, Baumgarth noted that the Powassan pathogen can spread faster than Lyme bacteria, “so it’s hard to outrun it.”
Prevention is the best cure
You can take some precautions to limit exposure to ticks when spending time in grassy or wooded areas that may harbor ticks, Baumgarth and Shapiro said.
Wear long sleeves and long pants, with bottoms of pants tucked into socks.
Wear light colored clothing so ticks are visible. Remove them immediately.
Use an insect repellant that has 30% DEET. Another repellent, permethrin, is meant to be applied to clothing.
After you return from the hike, wash your clothes and place them in a hot dryer. If it’s hot enough, it will kill the ticks.
Check yourself for ticks after you return, shower immediately, and if possible have someone else check places you can’t see.
More information
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about the Powassan virus.
SOURCES: Eugene Shapiro, MD, professor of pediatrics and epidemiology, vice chair for research, Department of Pediatrics and deputy director, doctor of medicine research program, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Nicole Baumgarth, DVM, PhD, immunologist, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore; CBS News
—————————————————-
Source link
We’re happy to share our sponsored content because that’s how we monetize our site!
| Article | Link |
|---|---|
| UK Artful Impressions | Premiere Etsy Store |
| Sponsored Content | View |
| ASUS Vivobook Review | View |
| Ted Lasso’s MacBook Guide | View |
| Alpilean Energy Boost | View |
| Japanese Weight Loss | View |
| MacBook Air i3 vs i5 | View |
| Liberty Shield | View |