BALTIMORE — Maryland has recorded its first-ever case of a very rare tick-borne virus, which killed someone on Sept. 22.
The virus is called Powassan, and there are no vaccines or medicines for it, said the Maryland Department of Health today. It's not transmitted person to person, except in rare cases by blood transfusion.
The person who died from Powassan had travelled to Canada, where they got the virus, and then returned to Maryland.
Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman said in a statement:
We are very saddened to report the first death due to the Powassan virus in our state... We do not believe that Powassan poses any threat of local transmission in Maryland. As always, we urge everyone to practice good habits when in areas that could have ticks or avoid those areas altogether.
Powassan can cause severe disease like encephalitis and meningitis, but many people who get the virus don't have any symptoms. Initial symptoms can include fever, headache, vomiting and weakness.
The virus mostly affects people in the northeast and Great Lakes regions from late spring to mid-fall, when ticks are most active.
Information on checking for ticks and avoiding them is available here.
