Findings suggest few people get sick after bite from ticks infected with Powassan virus

Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst-based New England Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (NEWVEC) have published new findings on Powassan virus, an emerging tick-borne illness that can cause life-threatening encephalitis and meningitis. The study reports that people bitten by black-legged (or deer) ticks that tested positive for the virus did not show signs or symptoms of disease. The research, led by Stephen Rich, NEWVEC executive director and professor of microbiology—”Passive surveillance of Powassan virus in human-biting ticks and health outcomes of associated bite victim”—was published recently in a letter to the editor in the journal Clinical Microbiology and Read More