The tick virus attacks the brain in 15 minutes A

The tick virus attacks the brain “in 15 minutes”. A US death in Maine is alarming

afraid of that virus give her ticks in United States. A died in Maine, the northeasternmost state in the United States, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the local health organization. The person died after contracting Powassan virus, which is transmitted through the bite of an infected deer tick, marmot tick or squirrel tick. “Ticks are active and looking for a host to bite on,” he said . stated Nirav D. Shah, director of the Maine CDC. “I urge Maine’s people and visitors to take action to prevent tick bites.”

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Tick-borne viruses, cases on the rise

According to the CDC, there were only 44 cases between 2011 and 2015. However, 134 cases have been reported since 2016 and 2020. Annual cases of all tick-borne diseases reported to the CDC more than doubled between 2004 and 2019, rising from 22,527 in 2004 to more than 50,000 in 2019. The virus can transmit within 15 minutes of a tick bite which is much faster than the bite-to-contagion time of many other tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease. Fortunately, the infection does not spread from person to person through coughing, sneezing, or physical contact.

what are the symptoms

Many people infected with Powassan virus have no symptoms. In general, however, according to the CDC (the highest health authority in the United States), the most common are fever, headache, vomiting, and weakness. In some cases, the virus can lead to neurological problems, such as B. infection of the brain (known as encephalitis) or infection of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). Symptoms of a serious illness can include confusion, seizures, loss of coordination or memory, and in very rare cases, possibly even death. There are no targeted drugs to cure the virus and no vaccines to prevent it. People who develop severe symptoms often need to be hospitalized for respiratory support.