2023-04-20 12:51:40
The number of reported cases of Powassan virus, named following an Ontario town where it was first detected in the 1950s, has been increasing in the United States and Canada.
A study by the Yale School of Public Health has now revealed that there is a high concentration of cases, especially in the US states of New York, Maine and Connecticut.
But what is Powassan virus, also known as “Lyme disease’s deadly cousin,” and is it really becoming more prevalent?
What is Powassan virus?
Similar to its ‘cousin’, Lyme disease, Powassan virus is transmitted through tick bites. It is primarily transmitted by the deer or marmot tick, also known as Ixodes scapularis or “black-legged tick”.
One of the main problems with Powassan virus compared to Lyme disease is the speed with which it can infect humans.
While the transmission time between a tick bite and someone contracting Lyme disease can be two to three days, Powassan can work in as little as 15 minutes, although symptoms often don’t appear for a week to four weeks later.
What are the symptoms of Powassan virus?
The virus is actually rarely diagnosed, as most of those affected do not show any symptoms.
But for those who show symptoms, they can be severe.
In addition to fever, chills, fatigue, nausea, and stiffness, the virus can also cause seizures and memory loss, and in a few cases can be life-threatening.
Why is Yale looking into this now?
The most recent investigation into the virus, conducted by the Yale School of Public Health, began in 2008 and concluded in 2019.
Chantal Vogels is a researcher in the Department of Microbial Disease Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health and a co-author of the study.
In the recently published results, she explains that until this most recent study, there was very little genomic information regarding the Powassan virus.
“We were able to explore the patterns of transmission and spread and decipher the ecology of the virus,” she said. “It’s incredibly important to have surveillance to know what’s out there.”
What were the results of the research?
The main finding of the study was that the virus is largely concentrated in very specific areas.
The report states: “The virus now appears to be slow to change locations or not to leave at all, thriving in specific hotspots and evolving independently in each one:
“For example, the scientists might not find any evidence that different clades of the virus were mixing with each other over a distance of 20 kilometers”.
It was also noted that there has been an increase in diagnoses in recent years.
“From the very first case in 1958 to around 2006, only one case per year was recorded. But since the early 2010s, dozens of diagnoses have been made almost every year,” the study said.
However, the rise in cases is not necessarily a cause for concern.
Powassan virus is still considered a “rare” disease, and the increase in cases is attributed to the fact that medical professionals are now more apt to look for Powassan when symptoms are present.
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