The Rhode Island Division of Well being (RIDOH) is reporting a confirmed case of the tick-borne Powassan virus illness detected in a Rhode Island resident who later died after contracting the illness.
Laboratory testing was carried out by the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), which confirmed the discovering earlier this month. The case concerned a feminine over the over the age of 80 from Washington County, who developed neurological signs and died in mid-July.
Powassan is a tick-borne illness that’s discovered largely within the Northeast and the Nice Lakes area of the U.S. and in japanese Canada. Over 239 circumstances of Powassan have been reported in america previously 10 years (2013-2022).
Powassan circumstances are uncommon, however the reported variety of circumstances has elevated lately. Between 2013 and 2022, there have been 93 circumstances of Powassan reported in New England: 49 circumstances in Massachusetts, 18 circumstances in Connecticut, 16 circumstances in Maine, 5 circumstances in New Hampshire, and 5 circumstances in Rhode Island.
Preliminary signs of Powassan embrace fever, headache, vomiting, and generalized weak spot. The illness often progresses to meningoencephalitis, which can embrace meningeal indicators, altered psychological standing, seizures, aphasia (problem understanding or talking), paresis (muscular weak spot or paralysis), motion problems, or cranial nerve palsies.
Folks with extreme Powassan illness usually must be hospitalized. There isn’t any vaccine or remedy for Powassan, so stopping publicity to ticks is one of the best technique to keep away from this illness.
