Connecticut confirms 2 Powassan virus infections: What to know about tick-borne illness - Fox News
Health officials in Connecticut announced the state’s first two cases of Powassan virus detected in 2021.The cases, which stem from an infected tick bite, involved patients between 50-79 years of age who fell ill during the third week of April and required hospitalization. .
The state reported just two cases last year, and 10 cases total spanning 2016-2020, two of which were fatal. .
"The identification of two Connecticut residents with Powassan virus associated illness emphasizes the need to take actions to prevent tick bites while ticks are most active, from now through the late fall," Deidre S.Gifford, MD., MPH, the state’s acting department of public health commissioner, said in a statement.
According to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, about one out of 10 cases of severe illness are fatal, and approximately half of all survivors experience long term health problems. .