Maine Resident Dies of Rare Tick-Borne Virus as Cases Spread Across U.S.

A Maine resident from Sagadahoc County has died after contracting a rare tick-borne virus, government officials said.

The incident represents the first case of the virus in the state this year, and the third recorded fatality since 2015.

The adult patient died in hospital after developing severe neurological symptoms, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) confirmed on May 17, days after issuing a public health advisory on tick-borne diseases.

Powassan virus disease is a tick-borne infection that can infect the brain, the surrounding membranes and the spinal cord. According to the CDC, the virus is primarily spread by deer ticks (also known as black-legged ticks), although the squirrel tick and groundhog tick may also carry the disease.

Symptoms may include fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, seizures and memory loss. These may develop anywhere between a week and a month after receiving the infected tick bite. However, not everyone who contracts the disease will develop symptoms.

Powassan virus disease is extremely rare, with only 202 cases, including 24 deaths, reported to the CDC across the whole of the U.S. between 2012 and 2021. However, cases have been rising in recent years, the CDC said, and of the 15 identified cases reported in Maine since 2015, four were recorded in 2022 alone.

The majority of cases have been reported in the northeastern U.S. and Great Lakes area. In 2004, there was only one case reported nationally, in Maine, the CDC figures show. The first case in Wisconsin was reported in 2006, and by 2017 a case was reported as far west as North Dakota. Ticks become infected with the disease when they feed on groundhogs, squirrels, mice and other rodents that have the virus in their blood. They can then spread it to people and other animals by biting them.

The disease can't be spread from person to person, although anyone infected should not donate blood or bone marrow for 120 days after the initial bite, according to the CDC.

Powassan virus can cause severe disease—about one in 10 individuals with severe symptoms die and roughly half of those who survive will have long-term health problems, such as recurring headaches, loss of muscle mass, and memory problems. However, only a subset of those who contract the disease fall into the category of "severe illness."

"Most people who are infected have no symptoms and fully recover," Daniel Pastula, an associate professor of neurology, infectious diseases and epidemiology at the University of Colorado school of Medicine, previously told Newsweek. "A subset, within one to four weeks develop a pretty bad flu-like illness. And a subset of those people develop Powassan neuroinvasive disease. That's where we are seeing the severity."

There are no vaccines or specific medications to treat or prevent the spread of this virus. However, you can take measures to prevent yourself from being bitten in the first place.

To avoid tick exposure, the Maine CDC recommends avoiding areas with shrubs or long grass and using an EPA-approved tick repellent, like DEET or picardin. Spray your clothes with the insecticide permethrin and wear light-colored garments that cover your arms and legs, tucking your pants into your socks.

After any outdoor activity, check yourself and your pets for ticks and put your clothing in the dryer on high heat before washing.

Update 5/18/23, 6:30 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional CDC figures.