Another person in Maine sickened by the rare Powassan virus
LINCOLN COUNTY, Maine —
The Maine Center for Disease Control says an adult in Lincoln County tested positive for the rare, and potentially deadly, Powassan virus last week. That is just the third case in Maine this year. The previous cases were in York and Penobscot counties.
The Maine CDC also said on Tuesday that a wild bird in Cumberland County tested positive for West Nile virus last week. That is the first positive case of West Nile virus in the state this year.
Powassan is the only endemic arbovirus spread by ticks in Maine. Viruses like West Nile, Jamestown Canyon, and Eastern Equine Encephalitis are spread by mosquitoes.
Powassan virus impacts the brain and is transmitted more quickly than Lyme disease. Researchers at the vector-borne disease lab in Scarborough are studying Powassan and how ticks survive Maine’s harsh winters.
Powassan virus infection is a rare, but sometimes fatal, tick-borne disease and can spread from ticks to people in as little as 15 minutes after a bite from an infected deer or woodchuck tick.
About 10% of people with severe Powassan disease die. Many survivors have long-term symptoms like recurring headaches, loss of muscle mass and strength, or memory problems.
In 2024, at least one person in Maine died from Powassan and there have been at least four deaths in Maine since 2015.
The CDC says cases of Powassan are rare in the United States, with only about 20 to 50 cases reported per year across the country from 2018 to 2023. Maine identified a record number of seven cases of Powassan in 2023.