Tick-borne Powassan Virus Found in North Branford

A potentially fatal disease that’s even more difficult to treat than Lyme disease has been spotted in Connecticut.

The Powassan virus was spotted in ticks found in Bridgeport and North Branford, according to News 12.

Ticks with the Powassan virus were found in those areas, according to CBS.

Powassan virus is rare; there have only been 60 reported cases in the U.S. in the past 10 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most cases are in the northeast and Great Lakes.

Ticks infected with the virus can transmit it in a matter of hours, said Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station head Dr. Theodore Andreadis. Ticks infected with Lyme disease generally need to feed for two days before transmitting the virus.

Symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, seizures and memory loss. Long-term neurological problems may occur too.

Incubation ranges from one week to one month and can cause encephalitis and meningitis.

The CDC recommends that people avoid wood and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter and walk in the center of trails. Products that contain DEET or Permethrin can repl ticks.

The CDC also recommends people conduct full-body checks for ticks if they’ve been in wooded areas.

Image via CDC