Powassan Virus

Facts for Prelims

Powassan Virus

News: Recently, a person in the US has died from the rare Powassan virus.

About:
 Powassan virus disease (POWV) is a rare but serious illness caused by the Powassan virus. It is often called a ticking time bomb. It is named after Powassan, Ontario where it was first discovered in 1958.
 It is spread to humans by the bite of an infected deer tick, groundhog tick or squirrel tick. Not all ticks carry these viruses and not all people bitten by a tick will get sick. A tick needs to be attached to a person for a certain length of time before it can cause disease.
 Symptoms - fever, headache, vomiting and weakness from one week to a month after being bitten. The other symptoms include Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), Meningitis (inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord).
 There is no specific vaccine or medication. People will be advised to take some preventive measures when they are outdoors.