<ul class="summary-list"><li>A woman in her 90s has died of <keyword id="13681468" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="powassan-virus" source="Orion">Powassan virus</keyword> disease, a rare tick-borne infection.</li><li>The patient was hospitalized with fever, headache, and altered mental status before she died.</li></ul><p>An elderly woman in New London County, Connecticut, has died of Powassan virus disease, a rare tick-borne infection.</p><p>The woman was in her 90s and became ill in early May, the Connecticut Department of Public <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">Health</keyword> reported in a <a href="https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Press-Room/Press-Releases---2022/POWV">press release</a>. She became unresponsive in the following weeks and died on May 17.</p><p>Laboratory testing showed that the patient had antibodies for Powassan virus disease, indicating she was infected before she died. She had a known tick bite and removed the insect about two weeks before she got sick, according to the health department.</p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/tick-borne-powassan-virus-can-cause-fatal-brain-infection-2022-5">Powassan virus</a> is spread through the bites of infected blacklegged <keyword id="12506630" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ticks" source="Orion">ticks</keyword>, also known as deer ticks. The tick can also transmit bacteria that cause Lyme disease and other infections.</p><p>The viral infection is relatively rare compared to other tick-borne diseases. Between 20 and 40 cases — mostly severe infections — are reported to the CDC each year, and a <a href="https://www.insider.com/maine-resident-killed-by-tick-virus-rare-neurological-symptoms-2022-4">few of those cases are fatal</a>.</p><p>Connecticut saw another case of Powassan virus disease in <a href="https://www.nddh.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/POWVFINALMay4.pdf">late March 2022</a>. The patient, a man in his 50s, was hospitalized with symptoms of central nervous system disease but eventually recovered.</p><h2><strong>Powassan virus can cause severe brain infections</strong></h2><p>The woman who died in Connecticut had a fever, chills, headache, chest pain, nausea, and altered mental status when she was admitted to the hospital, according to the state health department.  </p><p>Most people infected with Powassan virus do not experience such severe symptoms. The infection can be asymptomatic or cause mild flu-like illness, but older and immunocompromised people have a higher risk of becoming seriously ill.</p><p>If the infection reaches the brain, it can cause life-threatening swelling known as tick-borne <keyword id="14157721" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="encephalitis" source="Orion">encephalitis</keyword>. About one out of 10 cases of severe Powassan virus disease are fatal, and approximately half of survivors experience long-term health problems, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/symptoms.html">CDC</a>.</p><h2><strong>How to avoid tick bites</strong></h2><p>The best way to avoid tick-borne diseases is to take care in wooded and grassy areas during tick season.</p><p>"This incident reminds us that residents need to take actions to prevent tick bites now through the late fall," state health commissioner Manisha Juthani said in the press release. "DPH stresses the use of insect repellent this summer and avoiding high-risk areas, such as tall grass, where ticks may be found."</p><p>It's also important to <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-prevent-tick-bites-advice-from-wilderness-educator-advice-2022-5">check yourself for ticks</a> after spending time outside, he said. The Powassan virus can be transmitted in just 15 minutes after a tick sinks its teeth in — <a href="https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/powassan/fact_sheet.htm#:~:text=The%20disease%20can%20be%20spread,as%20little%20as%2015%20minutes.">faster than other tick-borne infections</a> — although symptoms of disease won't occur until a week to a month later.</p>

Connecticut woman killed by rare tick-borne virus that caused chills, chest pain, and disorientation

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="13681468" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="powassan-virus" source="Orion">Powassan virus</keyword> is a relatively rare tick-borne disease that can be deadly if it reaches the brain.</li><li>It's transmitted by the deer tick, which also spreads <keyword id="12506629" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lyme-disease" source="Orion">Lyme disease</keyword>.</li></ul><p>The blacklegged or deer tick is best known for spreading <a href="https://www.insider.com/5-signs-you-have-lyme-disease-not-the-flu-2022-5">Lyme disease</a>, but it can transmit various other viruses through its bites.</p><p>Powassan virus is rare compared to <a href="https://www.insider.com/map-states-with-lyme-disease-other-tick-borne-illnesses-2022-5">other tick-borne diseases</a> that affect humans. Most infections are reported in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions, where the deer tick is active from late spring through mid-fall.</p><p>Two other tick species — groundhog <keyword id="12506630" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ticks" source="Orion">ticks</keyword> and squirrel ticks — can spread Powassan virus if they feed on animals that are infected, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/transmission.html">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>. The deer tick is much more likely to bite and infect people.</p><p>Just 20 human infections with Powassan virus were <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/statistics.html">reported to the CDC</a> in 2020, the most recent year with complete data available. In 2019, the agency counted 39 cases of Powassan virus — a big jump from the previous year.</p><p>The reported number of Powassan cases has climbed over the past decade, according to the CDC. Early symptoms tend to be non-specific and may be confused with other endemic diseases, so it's important to know if you have a high risk of infection based on your location and lifestyle.</p><h2><strong>About 1 in 10 severe Powassan infections is fatal</strong></h2><p>People who get sick from Powassan virus typically develop symptoms within a month of a tick bite, but many do not have symptoms at all.</p><p>It's not clear how many asymptomatic Powassan virus infections occur each year, as they're not usually reported. Humans are known as "dead end hosts" for the virus, according to the CDC, because they cannot spread it to other people or animals.</p><p>Those who do have symptoms may experience fevers, headaches, vomiting, and general weakness starting about a week after exposure.</p><p>In some cases, the virus can cause infection and swelling around the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms of severe disease include confusion, loss of coordination, difficulty speaking, and seizures. </p><p>About <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/symptoms.html">one in every 10</a> cases of severe disease caused by Powassan virus is deadly, according to the CDC. An adult in Maine <a href="https://www.insider.com/maine-resident-killed-by-tick-virus-rare-neurological-symptoms-2022-4#:~:text=Powassan%20virus%20is%20spread%20to,US%2C%20according%20to%20the%20CDC.">died in April</a> after being hospitalized with neurologic symptoms caused by the virus.</p><p>Approximately half of the people who survive severe Powassan go on to have long-term <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">health</keyword> problems, such as recurring headaches, trouble with memory, and loss of muscle mass.</p><h2><strong>The best way to avoid Powassan virus is to look out for ticks</strong></h2><p>There is no specific treatment for Powassan virus infection, but it's important to seek medical attention if you think you might have it. Severe cases may require hospitalization to support recovery and reduce swelling in the brain.</p><p>The best way to avoid the virus, as well as other tick-borne diseases, is to be aware of your risk of tick bites. People who work or play outside in <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/pdf/powv-by-state-2020-P.pdf">areas where the Powassan virus is active</a> (primarily northeastern states, as well as Wisconsin and Minnesota) have an increased risk of infection, the CDC says.</p><p>Powassan virus is mainly spread by immature ticks, called nymphs, that are about the size of a poppy seed. Adult ticks are larger and easier to spot, so people are more likely to remove them before the insect sinks its mouth parts in.</p><p>To avoid getting sick, make sure to <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-prevent-tick-bites-advice-from-wilderness-educator-advice-2022-5">remove ticks promptly</a> if you find them on your body or on your pets. The CDC also recommends treating clothing and outdoor gear with permethrin, a tick repellent, or using an <a href="https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents">EPA-approved insect repellent</a>, if you live in a high-risk area.</p>

What to know about Powassan virus, a tick-borne disease that can cause fatal brain infection

<ul class="summary-list"><li>An adult in <keyword id="11916587" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="maine" source="Orion">Maine</keyword> died after contracting <keyword id="13681468" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="powassan-virus" source="Orion">Powassan virus</keyword>.</li><li>The virus is spread via tick bite and can cause serious neurologic complications.</li></ul><p>A person in Maine has died from an infection with a rare tick-borne virus, according to state <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">health</keyword> officials.</p><p>The individual was hospitalized with Powassan virus, a tick-borne disease that sickens about 25 people per year in the US, the <a href="https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/vector-borne/powassan/index.shtml#cases">Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention</a> announced Wednesday.</p><p>Although many people infected with the virus do not experience symptoms, the disease can lead to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/symptoms.html">serious inflammation</a> of the brain and spinal cord. The patient in Maine developed neurologic symptoms and died in the hospital, state health officials said in a <a href="https://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=DHS+Press+Releases&amp;id=7360066&amp;v=dhhs_article_2020">statement</a>.</p><p>It is likely that the patient became infected with Powassan virus in Maine, the statement said. Maine has identified only 14 cases of the virus since 2010, but the annual number of cases affecting the brain has been on the rise nationally since 2015, according to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/statistics.html">data from the CDC</a>.</p><p>"<keyword id="12506630" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ticks" source="Orion">Ticks</keyword> are active and looking for a host to bite right now," Nirav D. Shah, director of the Maine CDC, said in the statement. "I urge Maine people and visitors to take steps that prevent tick bites."</p><h2><strong>What to know about Powassan virus</strong></h2><p>Powassan virus is spread to humans through the bites of infected ticks. These may include blacklegged or deer ticks, groundhog ticks, or squirrel ticks — all found mostly in the eastern US, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/transmission.html">CDC</a>.</p><p>Those who get sick from the virus typically develop symptoms between one week and one month after the tick bite. Early symptoms may include:</p><ul><li>Fever</li><li>Headache</li><li>Vomiting</li><li>Weakness</li></ul><p>There is no specific treatment for Powassan virus infection, but it's important to seek medical attention if you think you might have it. In some cases, the virus can cause severe disease with symptoms like:</p><ul><li>Confusion</li><li>Loss of coordination</li><li>Difficulty speaking</li><li>Seizures</li></ul><p>About one in every 10 cases of severe disease caused by Powassan virus is deadly, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/symptoms.html">CDC</a>. Half of people who survive a serious bout of the illness report lingering health problems.</p><p>The best way to avoid the virus, as well as other tick-borne <keyword id="11932289" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="diseases" source="Orion">diseases</keyword>, is to <a href="https://www.insider.com/tick-bite">be vigilant about tick bites</a>. Exercise caution in wooded and bushy areas with tall grass, use EPA-approved insect repellent, and always perform tick checks after spending time outdoors.</p>

Maine resident killed by a tick virus that caused rare neurological symptoms

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A toddler caught a rare, potentially deadly tick-borne virus, and now one side of his body is weak.</li><li>Two weeks after a tick bite, he was hospitalized with a headache and fevers of over 103 degrees.</li></ul><p>A toddler in Pennsylvania caught a <a href="https://www.insider.com/tick-borne-powassan-virus-can-cause-fatal-brain-infection-2022-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rare tick-borne virus</a> from his family's yard and is now weak on the left side of his body, according to his mom.</p><p>Jonny Simoson, 3, was in good health when his mom, Jamie, spotted a live tick in his right shoulder while he was swimming, she told Insider. Jamie Simoson said that she easily removed the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-protect-against-lyme-disease-during-tick-season-2021-8?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tick</a> with a pair of tweezers within 15 minutes, leaving a "tiny red bump."</p><p>Two weeks later, he started complaining of headaches, became unusually drowsy, and had fevers of over 103 degrees Fahrenheit, Simoson said.</p><p>After two visits to a pediatrician, Simoson took Jonny to the emergency room. The next 12 days were a blur of MRI and CAT scans, a spinal tap, antibiotics, and antivirals as doctors investigated the cause of his symptoms, first in a general ward, then in pediatric intensive care. Eventually, after ruling out other causes, doctors diagnosed him with meningoencephalitis caused by the <a href="https://www.insider.com/tick-bite-killed-a-connecticut-woman-caused-powassun-virus-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Powassan virus</a>, <a href="https://www.lymedisease.org/mom-credits-ivig-with-turning-around-childs-powassan-infection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Simoson wrote in a blog post</a>.</p><p>"It was so frustrating searching for an answer. We were terrified that we might not be coming home with our child," Simoson said.</p><h2>Powassan virus, spread by deer ticks, is rare</h2><p>People catch the <a href="https://www.insider.com/tick-bite-killed-a-connecticut-woman-caused-powassun-virus-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Powassan virus</a> from infected black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks. It is typically diagnosed by testing spinal fluid.</p><p><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/statistics.html#casesbyyear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Data suggests</a> between six and 39 cases are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention each year, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/statistics.html#casesbyyear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mostly in Northeastern states and the Great Lakes region</a> in late spring, early summer, and mid-fall, when deer ticks are most active.</p><p>Most people <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/symptoms.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">don't get any symptoms</a>, but the virus can cause confusion, loss of coordination, difficulty speaking, and seizures if it infects the brain or its membranes.</p><p>About one in 10 people who get severe illness from the Powassan virus die, and about half who survive are left with long-term loss of muscle and strength, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/symptoms.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the CDC</a>.</p><p>Meningoencephalitis, Jonny's diagnosis, is a serious condition where the brain and the thin tissues surrounding it get inflamed.</p><div type="image" title="black legged tick on a blade of grass" height="3262" width="4350" msid="93355241" hostid="261"></div><h2>Jonny received an antibody treatment</h2><p>There are no proven medications for <a href="https://www.insider.com/tick-bite-killed-a-connecticut-woman-caused-powassun-virus-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Powassan virus</a> disease, so most people with severe disease are treated in the hospital with <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/symptoms.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supportive measures</a>, including fluids through a drip into a vein and oxygen.</p><p>However, Jonny was treated with <a href="https://www.lymedisease.org/mom-credits-ivig-with-turning-around-childs-powassan-infection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">five doses of disease-fighting antibodies</a> from blood donors, a treatment called intravenous immunoglobulin therapy, which has been used to treat <a href="https://www.lupus.org/resources/intravenous-immune-globulin-ivig-therapy">lupus</a> and children with <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004000/full">heart conditions</a>.</p><p>Dr. Swathi Gowtham, a pediatric infectious-disease specialist in Danville, Pennsylvania, who was involved in the case, <a href="https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2022/08/04/powassan-virus-pennsylvania-ticks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told CBS Philly</a> that Jonny responded "very well" to the treatment.</p><p>"Whether it is due to IVIG, I cannot really say," she said, adding that "more studies need to be done" on the use of intravenous immunoglobulin for the Powassan virus.</p><p>Jonny was discharged from the hospital after 12 days, but he was weak on one side of his body and needed physical rehabilitation and speech therapy. His parents had to teach him how to eat and drink again.</p><p>"Jonny was still not walking, and his balance was poor. We knew we had a ton of work to do but were up for the challenge," <a href="https://www.lymedisease.org/mom-credits-ivig-with-turning-around-childs-powassan-infection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Simoson wrote</a>.</p><p>"We're really confident that the progress that he has made will just continue," Simoson told <a href="https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2022/08/04/powassan-virus-pennsylvania-ticks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS Philly</a>.</p>

A 3-year-old who caught a rare tick-borne virus in his family's yard was hospitalized for 12 days, and it left part of his body weak

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Two years ago, a farmer found three cattle dead and covered in a massive number of ticks.</li><li>The ticks turned out to be an invasive species, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/haemaphysalis-longicornis-east-asian-ticks-in-new-jersey-may-carry-disease-2018-4">Asian longhorned tick</a>, newly established in Ohio.</li></ul><p>In the summer of 2021, Risa Pesapane, an assistant professor of veterinary preventive medicine at Ohio State, got a call about three dead cattle on a farm in eastern Ohio, near the border of West Virginia. The farmer had never seen animals so infested with ticks, Pesapane told Insider.</p><p>In a <a target="_blank" href="https://academic.oup.com/jme/article-abstract/60/5/1126/7238612?redirectedFrom=fulltext"><u>recent paper</u></a>, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Medical Entomology, Pesapane and her colleagues documented the case, stating it was the first established population of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/r-asian-longhorned-tick-spreading-in-us-2018-12">Asian longhorned ticks</a> in Ohio. But Ohio isn't the first place these ticks have turned up.</p><p>ALTs are an invasive species native to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/maps/animal-health/asian-longhorned-tick"><u>East Asia</u></a>. It's been in the US since at least 2010 and found in at least <a target="_blank" href="https://today.uconn.edu/2023/09/uconns-cvmdl-identifies-asian-longhorned-tick-presence-in-ct/#"><u>19 states</u></a>, according to the US Department of Agriculture.</p><div type="image" title="A navy blue map of the US with red stars in the 19 states where Asian longhorned ticks have been found" height="5773" width="8659" msid="105242915" hostid="261"></div><p>"The tick will be a nuisance and it is spreading," Kevin Lahmers, a clinical associate professor at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, told Insider. "It will cover most of the eastern half of the US — that's most likely."</p><p>That's a concern since these ticks not only pose a threat to livestock but, to a lesser extent, people too. "The reason that people are following the ticks so aggressively is because of concern for public health, not just animal health," Lahmers said.</p><h2>Thousands of Asian longhorned tick clones</h2><p>When Pesapane and her colleagues showed up at the farm in Ohio, they used a drop cloth and lint roller to collect over 9,000 ticks from around the property in about an hour and a half.</p><p>"There were just thousands of ticks present," she said. "I knew immediately that we were not dealing with a tick that we know to be native to the United States."</p><p>"They just show up in such incredibly large numbers," Joellen Lampman said. She's an Extension Support Specialist in integrated pest management with Cornell University.</p><p>These ticks show up in such large numbers because they can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-say-they-have-induced-virgin-births-in-fruit-flies-2023-7">reproduce asexually</a>. None of the experts knew of any other tick species in the US that reproduces this way. On top of that, the ALT can "complete its life cycle in a shorter period of time than the ticks previously native to the United States," Pesapane said.</p><p>So, if a female ALT gets transferred all by itself to a new location, it can still establish a new population. "She's basically <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/epaulette-shark-pup-walk-born-chicago-zoo-asexual-reproduction-egg-2023-11">cloning herself</a>," Lampman said. All her offspring can then go on to lay <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/maps/animal-health/asian-longhorned-tick"><u>between 1,000 and 2,000 eggs</u></a>.</p><h2>The curious case of the dead cattle</h2><div type="image" title="A brown Asian longhorned tick up close" height="532" width="800" msid="105242916" hostid="261"></div><p>Pesapane and her colleagues suggest the Ohio cattle died from blood loss. However, Lahmers is more skeptical that blood loss, alone, was the culprit.</p><p>"It would take an awful lot of ticks in order to take enough blood from that animal to" kill it, Lahmers said, adding that because the cattle were buried before Pesapane arrived, it's difficult to know for sure what killed them.</p><p>While Pesapane understands Lahmers' concern, she said that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/maps/animal-health/asian-longhorned-tick">USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service</a> and studies in New Zealand also support the hypothesis that these ticks can cause death in livestock due to severe blood loss.</p><p>She added that it's essential to understand the mechanism that kills livestock as the tick spreads. However, it's been difficult to find carcasses to study because cattle owners typically bury them too quickly.</p><p>"Some [pathologists] have hypothesized that there may be an interaction between severe anemia and some sort of toxicosis from compounds in tick saliva, but this is just speculation until a study is conducted,"  Pesapane said.</p><p>That said, the cattle's death from another common tick-borne disease, Theileria orientalis, is unlikely since the farm's remaining live cattle tested negative for it, per Pesapane's study.</p><p>Lampman noted that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ticks-spreading-across-us-pests-global-warming-disease-2019-9">similar cattle deaths</a> have happened in North Carolina. "This is not an event that is unique and we're going to see more of it, unfortunately."</p><h2>Asian longhorned ticks are hard to spot, contain, and kill</h2><p>Tiny and brown, the ALT is hard to distinguish from other types of ticks, making it difficult to spot.</p><p>The ALT seems to thrive in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/maps/animal-health/asian-longhorned-tick"><u>tall grass and wooded areas</u></a>. While existing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-protect-against-lyme-disease-during-tick-season-2021-8">pesticides will kill them</a>, they need to come in direct contact with the ticks. "If the ticks are hiding deep down in leaf litter or in dense grass, the pesticides just aren't going to reach," Lampman said.</p><p>Controlling an ALT population would take re-application of a pesticide every five weeks, Pesapane said. That's not feasible because the chemicals would affect the grass the cattle eat as well as any pollinators in the area.</p><div type="image" title="Hereford Cattle" height="1414" width="2121" msid="105242917" hostid="261"></div><p>Another challenge is that the ticks feed on a slew of different animals. All the experts agreed that animals like cattle and horses seem to be their favorite, but ALTs have been found on dozens of animals.</p><p>"It's sort of tasting the buffet of all the new possible hosts in the United States, but it has some sort of tried and true favorites," Pesapane said.</p><p>"We're finding them on raccoons, skunks, possums," in addition to deer, dogs, and birds, Lampman said.</p><p>Birds and other wildlife may help spread the ticks, especially locally, but Pesapane said moving livestock between states could also be a culprit. "There's probably some combination of wild and domestic animals that are responsible for this" spread, she said.</p><h2>Asian longhorned tick-borne diseases</h2><p>In other countries, these invasive ticks spread several pathogens in humans and animals. Right now, they mainly seem to be a threat to animals, but they could potentially transmit diseases to humans, too, Pesapane said.</p><p>For example, Pesapane has seen several cases of the disease Theileria orientalis Ikeda in livestock. It causes jaundice and anemia and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/maps/animal-health/asian-longhorned-tick"><u>lowers milk production</u></a>. Pregnant, infected cows can also lose their fetuses.</p><p>"Theileria orientalis Ikeda was not known or not widespread in the United States before this tick," Pesapane said.</p><p>This type of Theileria isn't a risk to humans or most other species, Lahmers said. However, the ticks can pass on other pathogens.</p><p>While it doesn't seem effective for passing on Lyme disease, the tick has been shown to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-check-for-tick-bites-this-summer-2023-5">transmit other human diseases</a> in lab settings. They include Rocky Mountain spotted fever, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/new-tick-diseases-emerging-in-us-asia-heartland-bourbon-sftv-2022-6">Heartland virus</a>, and Powassan virus.</p><p>Powassan is currently rare but is increasing. With <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/5-signs-you-have-lyme-disease-not-the-flu-2022-5">Lyme disease</a>, transmission takes hours. Ticks can pass Powassan on in just 15 minutes, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://ysph.yale.edu/news-article/tick-borne-powassan-virus-is-being-transmitted-in-concentrated-clusters-in-new-england-yale-study-says/"><u>Yale School of Public Health</u></a>.</p><p>"I'm very, very concerned about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/tick-borne-powassan-virus-can-cause-fatal-brain-infection-2022-5">Powassan virus</a>," Lampman said. "Here's a potentially fatal disease that can get transmitted within minutes. We just don't want to get bit by ticks."</p><p>When it comes to staying safe from the ALT, the advice is the same as with other ticks, like covering up bare skin and wearing permethrin-treated clothing. Lampman cites the Swiss cheese method: "The more things that you do, the less likely you are to be <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/acquired-tick-resistance-why-some-people-immune-to-ticks-2023-6">bit by a tick</a>."</p><p>Pesapane also notes that the ticks seem to love biting dogs, so it's important to protect pets, too.</p><p>For livestock, the approach is also similar to dealing with other types of ticks. Pesapane recommends checking animals for ticks, treating infected animals, and maintaining pastures.</p><p>All three experts urged people to reach out to their state universities or local agriculture departments if they see an unusual tick.</p>

The Asian longhorned tick spreading across the US can clone itself thousands of times and even kill cattle

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ticks tend to be smaller than a pencil eraser, but they can cause big health problems.</li><li>A bite from a tick can lead to Lyme disease, or the lesser-known Powassan virus.</li></ul><p>The recent death of a 58-year-old man in Maine this May is a reminder of how even tiny ticks can transmit viruses and bacteria that cause serious illness. According to the <a href="https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/news/maine-cdc-confirms-death-powassan-virus-disease-wed-05172023-1200" target="_blank" rel="noopener">state health department</a> on May 17, the man developed neurologic symptoms related to the rare <a href="https://www.insider.com/tick-borne-powassan-virus-can-cause-fatal-brain-infection-2022-5">Powassan virus</a> and died in the hospital.</p><p>While fatal tick infections are rare, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/datasurveillance/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hundreds of thousands of Americans</a> get Lyme disease each year, which can <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/faq/index.html#:~:text=Lyme%20disease%20is%20caused%20by,months%20after%20they%20finish%20treatment." target="_blank" rel="noopener">cause months of debilitating symptoms</a> including joint pain and fatigue. Ticks can spread <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">other diseases</a> too, like <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/babesiosis/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">babesiosis</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rmsf/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rocky Mountain spotted fever,</a> so it's worth taking precautions against these bugs.</p><h2><strong>Ticks are most active when it's warm out</strong></h2><p>Ticks are mostly dormant during the winter, but they become more active during the warmer months — usually April through September — and <a href="https://www.insider.com/new-tick-diseases-emerging-in-us-asia-heartland-bourbon-sftv-2022-6">tick season is getting longer</a> due to climate change.</p><p>Not all ticks spread all diseases; there are several species of ticks across the country, and they are associated with different viruses and bacteria.</p><p>For this reason, it's important to note which tick species are <a href="https://www.insider.com/map-states-with-lyme-disease-other-tick-borne-illnesses-2022-5">most common in your area</a> and any diseases they may spread. Lyme disease is typically associated with the blacklegged tick, which can be found up and down the East Coast.</p><h2><strong>How to check for ticks after spending time outside</strong></h2><p>The more time you spend outside, the more likely you are to come into contact with a tick.</p><p>Ticks live in grassy or wooded areas, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/avoid/on_people.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>, so people may come across them in their own backyards or while doing outdoor activities such as camping or hiking.</p><p>Ticks like to hide in warm nooks of the body, so when checking for ticks make sure to first remove all of your clothes. Then, check your whole body, paying special attention to the areas under your arms, in and around your ears, behind your knees, in and around your hair, and even inside your belly button.</p><p>If you're going outside with a pet or child, you should check them for ticks as well. You can use a full-body mirror or enlist a buddy to help you check yourself in areas that are hard to see, like your back or behind your ears.</p><h2>How to remove a tick the right way</h2><p>Ticks may spend several hours exploring the body before they bite, so it's important to check for them immediately after coming inside. If you see a tick crawling on you that isn't attached, you can remove it by hand. </p><p>When a tick bites you, it releases a numbing agent in its saliva. You probably won't feel the bite, but the tick's saliva and blood may contain pathogens that can cause disease.</p><p>If you find a tick on your body that's embedded in the skin, locate the head of the tick and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener nofollow sponsored">pull it out with tweezers</a> using steady, slow pressure, taking care not to release the insect's blood or leave parts behind. Don't try to "suffocate" the tick by covering it with petroleum jelly or nail polish. </p><p>If the mouth of the tick detaches, that's ok — <a href="https://phc.amedd.army.mil/PHC%20Resource%20Library/HowtoCheckforTicksandRemoval_FS_18-092-0919.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pull it out like you would a splinter</a>. </p><p>After you've removed the tick, wash the bitten area with soap and warm water. </p><p>If the tick has embedded, some physicians will recommend that you save the insect in a ziplock bag in case you get sick and need it for testing. Otherwise, toss that tick into the toilet and watch for <a href="https://www.insider.com/5-signs-you-have-lyme-disease-not-the-flu-2022-5">signs of infection</a> in the following weeks.</p>

Tick-borne diseases are back. Here's the best way to check for tick bites this summer.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A nurse explained why you should never remove a tick with your fingers.</li><li>Using your fingers risks the tick regurgitating its stomach contents into your body.</li></ul><p>A registered nurse has warned against removing <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-prevent-tick-bites-advice-from-wilderness-educator-advice-2022-5">ticks</a> with your fingers, amid a particularly bad tick season in the US.</p><p>Not removing a tick correctly risks regurgitating its stomach contents into your body, Jennifer Quante, a Texas–based nurse who makes health-related videos, said in a recent <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jeniquante/video/7240815260649655594?_r=1&amp;_t=8dYGqZKp7uc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a>. This could increase the <a href="https://www.insider.com/map-states-with-lyme-disease-other-tick-borne-illnesses-2022-5">risk of infection</a>, according to <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/Recognizing-and-avoiding-tick-borne-illness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Harvard Medical School</a>.</p><h2>How to remove a tick</h2><div type="image" title="Four images displaying how to remove a tick with tweezers" height="242" width="1380" msid="101494811" hostid="261" sizebytes="16716"></div>The <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-check-for-tick-bites-this-summer-2023-5">proper way</a> to remove a tick is by using fine-tipped tweezers to grasp it as close to the skin's surface as possible, the<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/removal/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> CDC advises</a>. Then, you should steadily pull upwards and avoid twisting, which could cause the <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/treatments/tick-bite">tick's</a> mouth to break off and remain in your skin. <p>If any parts of the tick can't be removed easily, leave the area and let the skin heal. Once you have removed the tick, thoroughly wash the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.</p><p>To dispose of a live tick, either put it in alcohol, flush it down the toilet, place it in a sealed bag or container, or wrap it tightly in tape. </p><p>The CDC says you should always get checked out if you develop a rash or fever in the weeks following a tick bite.</p><p>"Never, ever, ever, ever remove it with your own hands. You're just gonna have to, unfortunately, let it stay there until you get access to tweezers," Quante said.</p><p>Quante said folklore remedies, such as burning the tick with a flame or trying to suffocate it with petroleum jelly or essential oils, are all risky. </p><h2>Ticks can spread disease including Lyme</h2><p>Not all ticks carry disease, but the bites of those that do can cause Lyme and rarer conditions such as <a href="https://www.insider.com/tick-bite-powassan-virus-kid-symptoms-pennsylvania-2022-8">Powassan virus disease </a>and <a href="https://www.insider.com/new-tick-diseases-emerging-in-us-asia-heartland-bourbon-sftv-2022-6">Heartland virus disease</a>. Quante<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jeniquante/video/7241661699135114542" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> recommended</a> putting the tick in a zip-lock bag after you've removed it and sending it out for testing to check if it's infected.</p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/lyme-vaccine-for-people-being-tested-across-us-europe-pfizer-2023-6">Insider previously reported</a> that the number of Lyme infections in the US and Europe has soared in recent months in what could be the worst season on record, as tick territories expand due to climate change. </p><p>Lyme disease, a tick-borne condition spread by the blacklegged tick, is caused by a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi, and Borrelia mayonii less commonly. Though it can usually be easily treated with antibiotics, the infection can cause <a href="https://www.insider.com/young-woman-needed-16-joint-surgeries-lyme-disease-2022-9">debilitating symptoms</a>, such as <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/treatment/LymeArthritis.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lyme arthritis</a> and fatigue, if left untreated. </p><p>Around 500,000 Americans a year are affected by Lyme disease, according to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/datasurveillance/index.html#:~:text=Recent%20estimates%20using%20other%20methods%20suggest%20that%20approximately%20476%2C000%20people%20may%20get%20Lyme%20disease%20each%20year%20in%20the%20United%20States" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CDC estimates</a>, and research suggests that <a href="https://www.insider.com/lyme-disease-symptoms-treatment-research-tick-bullseye-rash-2022-6?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=yahoo.com">15% of the world</a> has caught the disease.</p><p>Early symptoms typically include a fever, muscle aches, joint swelling or pain, headaches, swollen lymph nodes, and sometimes a red bull's eye rash, known as erythema migrans. </p>

Why you should never remove a tick with your fingers, according to a nurse

<ul><li><strong>Insilico Medicine, a US-based biotech startup has nominated a drug for pre-clinical trials.</strong></li><li><strong>The drug has been developed to treat COVID-19 patients.</strong></li><li><strong>The company has developed the drug with the help of artificial intelligence.</strong></li></ul>Insilico Medicine, a biotech startup from the United States has nominated a drug developed by the company for pre-clinical trials. The drug has been developed with the help of artificial intelligence (<keyword id="6355999" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ai" source="Orion">AI</keyword>) and is designed to treat patients with COVID-19.<br /><br />The preclinical stage is an important part of drug development and is the stage just before human trials. The drug developed by Insilico is aimed at treating patients suffering from COVID-19 by preventing the coronavirus from replicating in the body.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Developed with the help of AI" comment="subhead" text="Developed with the help of AI"><span data-til="noop">Developed with the help of AI</span></cmsannotation><br />The company has developed the drug with the help of artificial intelligence. The company has built a machine learning-based software platform made up of three components.<br /><br />The three components include PandaOmics, Chemistry42 and Inclinico. PandaOmics uses natural-language-processing tools that analyze data from academic papers to highlight genes and proteins related to specific diseases.<br /><br />Chemistry42 uses this information to generate molecule structures that affect or interact with those highlighted proteins and genes. Inclinico then predicts how the molecule will perform in clinical trials.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How does the drug work?" comment="subhead" text="How does the drug work?"><span data-til="noop">How does the drug work?</span></cmsannotation><br />Unlike present mRNA vaccines that boost the body’s immunity by generating antibodies, the drug developed by Insilico targets the 3C-like protease, an enzyme involved in the viral reproduction of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. <br /><br />"This molecule designed by AI has distinct pharmacophores from existing 3CL protease inhibitors and binds to the target protein in a unique, irreversible, covalent binding mode as demonstrated by a co-crystal structure," said Feng Ren, chief scientific officer of Insilico Medicine.<br /><br />"We are committed to progress the molecule as fast as possible into clinical trials evaluating its usage in COVID-19 treatment,” Ren added.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/monkeypox-doesnt-spread-easily-via-air-like-covid-19-says-us-centres-for-disease-control/articleshow/91784736.cms">Monkeypox doesn't spread easily via air like COVID-19, says US Centres for Disease Control</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/indian-rural-healthcare-centres-are-so-few-and-so-burdened-that-people-are-avoiding-them/articleshow/91781443.cms">Indian rural healthcare centres are so few and so burdened that people are avoiding them</a><br /><br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/what-to-know-about-powassan-virus-a-tick-borne-disease-that-can-cause-fatal-brain-infection/articleshow/91752322.cms"><strong>What to know about Powassan virus, a tick-borne disease that can cause fatal brain infection</strong></a><br />

Artificial intelligence has helped in developing a drug that can cure COVID-19 patients

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="13718586" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tick" source="Orion">Tick</keyword> season in the US starts in early spring and lasts through fall.</li><li>The bugs can spread pathogens that cause <keyword id="12506629" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lyme-disease" source="Orion">Lyme disease</keyword> and various other infections.</li></ul><p>Pull up your socks and get out your insect repellent. It's tick season in the US.</p><p>Every year, some 50,000 cases of tick-borne illness are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by local <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">health</keyword> departments. The official count is likely an underestimate — according to the CDC, the toll of Lyme disease alone could be nearly <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/humancases.html">ten times that much</a>. </p><p>Your risk of catching diseases from ticks depends on where you live, as there are at least nine different species active in the US. Most species are active in early spring through late fall, and a warming planet means there's an increasingly large area where ticks can thrive, according to the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-lyme-disease">Environmental Protection Agency</a>.</p><p>Here are a few tick-borne illnesses you should know the signs for this spring:</p><h2><strong>Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the US</strong></h2><p><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/index.html">Lyme disease</a> is often associated with a distinctive "bulls-eye" rash — a red dot circled by a red ring, like a target — that can appear up to a month after a bite from the blacklegged tick.</p><p>Early symptoms of Lyme disease may also include fever, headache, and fatigue. If treated with antibiotics promptly, the illness should resolve within a couple weeks.</p><p>However, not every case of Lyme disease causes an obvious rash, and antibodies can take several weeks to show up on a diagnostic test, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/diagnosistesting/index.html">CDC</a>. If left untreated, the bacteria can invade the joints, nervous symptoms, and even the heart.</p><p>Out of every 100 cases of Lyme disease reported to the CDC, approximately:</p><ul><li>25 progress to arthritis</li><li>9 have facial palsy (drooping)</li><li>4 develop nerve pain or numbness</li><li>3 have swelling in the brain or spinal cord </li><li>1 may develop Lyme carditis, which disrupts a normal heartbeat</li></ul><p>Cases of Lyme disease are most frequently reported in the northeastern and upper midwestern United States, where the tick species ixodes scapularis is looking for a host. Also known as the <a href="https://www.insider.com/deer-tick-bite">deer tick</a>, it spreads the bacteria <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5029759/">Borrelia burgdorferi</a> and more rarely <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/mayonii/index.html">Borrelia mayonii</a>, which both can cause Lyme disease.</p><h2><strong>The blacklegged tick may also spread other bacteria</strong></h2><p>It's possible to be co-infected with bacteria that cause <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tickbornediseases/anaplasmosis.html">anaplasmosis</a>, which usually looks like the flu, according to the <a href="https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/infectious-diseases/rickettsiae-and-related-organisms/ehrlichiosis-and-anaplasmosis">Merck Manual</a>. Symptoms may include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, headache, muscle aches, and malaise — typically with an abrupt onset about 12 days after a tick bite.</p><p>Similarly, the blacklegged tick can transmit the bacterium <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tickbornediseases/babesiosis.html">Babesia microti</a> or the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tickbornediseases/powassan.html">powassan virus</a>, which more rarely cause severe disease. Co-infections may be marked by a more severe course or incomplete response to treatment, or a later resurgence of symptoms.</p><h2><strong>Rocky Mountain spotted fever can be deadly</strong></h2><p>About 60% of cases of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tickbornediseases/rmsf.html">Rocky Mountain spotted fever</a> are reported from North Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, the CDC says. Cases are on the rise in <a href="https://www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/rocky-mountain-spotted-fever/index.php">certain parts of Arizona</a> as well.</p><p>Early symptoms may be non-specific, including headache, fever, gastrointestinal issues, and a splotchy red rash. The results of blood tests for RMSF can take weeks to come back, so providers are recommended to treat suspected cases with <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rmsf/pdf/RMSFInfographic.pdf">doxycycline</a> before the disease causes lasting damage to organs or blood vessels.</p><p>With early treatment in mind, it's important to note whether you were bitten by a tick or spent time in a woodsy area before getting sick. The bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii can be spread by a few different tick species in the US, including the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/maps/rocky_mountain_wood_tick.pdf">Rocky Mountain wood tick</a>, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/maps/american_dog_tick.pdf">American dog tick</a>, and the <a href="https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1769-2018.pdf">brown dog tick</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4706357/">Case studies</a> suggest that between 5 and 10% of RMSF cases are fatal. However, the fatality rate appears lower in disease surveillance data, likely because the illness has been counted in the same category as <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rmsf/stats/index.html">less severe spotted fevers</a> since 2010.</p><h2><strong>The lone star tick can cause infection or a strange meat allergy</strong></h2><p>Native to the southeastern US, the lone star tick is known to cause <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tickbornediseases/ehrlichiosis.html">ehrlichiosis</a>, another flu-like infection caused by the bacteria E. chaffeensis and E. ewingii.</p><p>Three states — Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas — account for 35% of all reported E. chaffeensis infections, according to the CDC. </p><p>However, an odd reaction to the lone star tick has caught the attention of doctors in recent years. Some people who get bitten develop a sudden allergy to red meat, known as <a href="https://www.insider.com/tick-bites-are-causing-meat-allergies-across-us-experts-say-2022-4">alpha-gal syndrome</a>.</p><p>Clifford Bassett, an allergist and assistant professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said cases of AGS have been reported in about 35 states where the lone star tick has migrated, including the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. </p><p>He's looking out for patients with rashes and gastrointestinal reactions after eating pork, beef, or lamb. More rarely, AGS can be triggered by dairy or even medicines containing trace animal products.</p>

5 tick-borne diseases to watch out for this season, and how to avoid them

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/594973049a7af5a3038b5bd2-1218/gettyimages-51093192.jpg" alt="lone star deer dog tick" data-mce-source="Getty Images" data-mce-caption="A Close Up Of An Adult Female Deer Tick, Dog Tick, And A Lone Star Tick Are Shown June 15, 2001 On The Palm Of A Hand. Ticks Cause An Acute Inflammatory Disease Characterized By Skin Changes, Joint Inflammation, And Flu-Like Symptoms Called Lyme Disease." /><p class="source"><span>Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">A bite from a deer tick, on the left here, can transmit the deadly Powassan virus.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>This year is shaping up to be a <a href="http://www.caryinstitute.org/discover-ecology/podcasts/acorns-and-lyme-disease">banner year</a> for disease-spreading ticks.</p><p>Most <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/deer-tick-can-carry-lyme-disease-powassan-virus-babesiosis-and-more-2017-6">tick-borne diseases are serious</a>, but there's a particularly bad one to look out for if you live in Minnesota, Wisconsin, or the Northeast: <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/">Powassan virus</a>.</p><p>"We know that if somebody gets bitten by an infected tick with this virus and they get sick they have a 50% chance of having permanent neurological damage and a 10% chance of dying," <a href="https://publichealth.yale.edu/people/durland_fish.profile">Durland Fish</a>, professor emeritus of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, told Business Insider.</p><p>The caveat is that we don't know how likely people are to get sick, Fish said - it seems a number of people bitten by Powassan-infected ticks don't get sick (at least not sick enough to merit a case report).</p><p>Powassan is spread by the same ticks that cause Lyme disease, and there's no treatment for it. Some studies show that the virus can be transmitted in 15 minutes or less.</p><p>According to Fish, Powassan was first discovered in the 1950s in Powassan, Ontario. From what we can tell, the earliest cases occurred when people were bitten by a species of tick that rarely bites humans. But Fish said that over the last 30 years or so, the deer tick (also known as the blacklegged tick) has "been expanding its range enormously."</p><p>Somewhere along the way those ticks - which bite humans frequently - picked up the virus. It turns out they can spread Powassan, too.</p><p>Doctors have now detected Powassan in New England, New York, Wisconsin, and Minnesota - though only about 75 cases have been reported over the last 10 years. Fish thinks cases may be underreported, however, since doctors in many areas don't have the ability to detect Powassan or may not know to look for it. Fish said the first case was recently recorded in Connecticut by a physician who'd previously encountered Powassan in upstate New York.</p><p>The fact that the virus was first discovered in Ontario but has since been found in US states may make it seem like it's spreading, but that's not necessarily the case, according to <a href="https://www.mailman.columbia.edu/research/center-infection-and-immunity/rafal-tokarz-phd">Rafal Tokarz</a>, an associate research scientist at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.</p><p>Until recently, Powassan hadn't been tested for in many places, says Tokarz. So the uptick may just be due to the fact that we've started looking for it. </p><p>"Chances are that if you get bitten by a tick and you get a tick-borne disease, it'll be Lyme," Tokarz said. The CDC estimates that 300,00 people get infected by Lyme disease every year, but Lyme can be treated and it usually takes hours or days for a tick to transfer that infection.</p><p>For Powassan, on the other hand, "we don't have a vaccine and we don't have awareness," Fish said. "I hate to be sounding alarms, but just from what I know, it seems like something that could be serious."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/science-mosquitoes-bite-blood-2016-3">Why mosquitoes bite some people and not others</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="FyNDU0MjE6Nkoi51wISTM7FjHP-L7mNF" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'FyNDU0MjE6Nkoi51wISTM7FjHP-L7mNF',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

A little-known tick-borne infection could have permanent or fatal consequences

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b0da52f1ae6622a008b4f6a-1777/shutterstock379103503.jpg" border="0" alt="hawaii woman hiking cliff" data-mce-source="Shutterstock" /><p class="source"><span>Shutterstock</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Blood-sucking pests like <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/ticks">ticks</a> and mosquitoes can carry a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tick-and-mosquito-diseases-tripled-cdc-2018-5">host of diseases</a> that can cause permanent harm or even death.</strong></li><li><strong>Taking steps to keep ticks and mosquitoes away can make your summer safer and more pleasant.</strong></li><li><strong>By using certain kinds of repellent, wearing the right clothes, taking precautions before you travel, and doing tick checks, you can keep yourself safe.</strong></li></ul><hr /><p><br />Nothing ruins a summer vacation like picking up a serious illness from a tick or mosquito.</p><p>There are plenty of reasons to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-spending-more-time-outside-is-healthy-2017-7">spend time outdoors</a> in the summer (and in any season, really), from afternoons in the park to camping trips. But when it's warm outside, pests like ticks, mosquitoes, and fleas are particularly active.</p><p>Those blood suckers aren't just annoying - they also <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/deer-tick-can-carry-lyme-disease-powassan-virus-babesiosis-and-more-2017-6">carry serious diseases</a>.</p><p>Mosquitoes can spread malaria, Zika, dengue, chikungunya, West Nile, and other illnesses. Ticks can spread well-known illnesses like Lyme Disease as well as other lesser-known but scary conditions like Powassan virus or an allergy to mammal products, especially red meat. In certain parts of the world, like the US Southwest or Madagascar, some fleas can still infect people with the plague.</p><p>Cases of many of these pest-borne diseases are <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tick-and-mosquito-diseases-tripled-cdc-2018-5">rapidly on the rise</a>,  so it's worth doing everything you can to avoid getting infected. With a reasonable amount of preparation, you can cut down your risk of contracting a serious condition that could have a significant impact on your life.</p><p>Being aware of your risks, using the right products, and making sure to check yourself after being outside can all make a big difference.</p><p>Here's how to keep the summer fun, active, and as pest-free as possible.</p>

A step-by-step guide to avoiding ticks, mosquitoes, and other pests this summer

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/594d3bafa3630f02058b4f3f-1322/adultdeertick.jpg" alt="Adult_deer_tick" data-mce-source="Scott Bauer/USDA" /><p class="source"><span>Scott Bauer/USDA</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The deer tick, also known as the blacklegged tick, is a fascinating but nasty little creature, and it's spreading.</p><p>The tiny arthropods carry Lyme disease - the serious illness that we most associate them with - but that's not the only pathogen they spread.</p><p>"One thing that people really need to be aware of is that Lyme disease is not the only pathogen that's out there - there's quite a few of them, [including] probably quite a few that we haven't discovered yet," says <a href="https://www.mailman.columbia.edu/research/center-infection-and-immunity/rafal-tokarz-phd">Rafal Tokarz</a>, an associate research scientist at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.</p><p>And the deer tick, which as far as we know carries more illnesses than any other tick, "has been expanding its range enormously in the last 30 years," says <a href="https://publichealth.yale.edu/people/durland_fish.profile">Durland Fish</a>, professor emeritus of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health. Before the early 70s, it was largely unknown outside the Northeast, but now it has spread north, south, and west.</p><p>The diseases that we know deer ticks spread are all serious:</p><p>1. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/index.html">Lyme disease</a>, which is transmitted by ticks infected with the bacterium <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em>, infects roughly 300,000 Americans every year. It can be treated with antibiotics if caught early, but can cause severe inflammation, nerve, and joint pain, among other symptoms, if left untreated.</p><p>2. When people are infected with <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/babesiosis/disease.html">babesiosis</a>, parasites infect and destroy red blood cells. Not everyone shows symptoms but it can be life-threatening for some at-risk patients. It's "like tick-borne malaria," says Fish, and is the most important contaminant of the blood bank right now, he says.</p><p>3. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/anaplasmosis/">Anaplasmosis</a> is spread by another bacteria carried by deer ticks. It usually shows up a week or two after a bite and can cause fever, headaches, nausea, and general malaise, among other symptoms. If untreated it can be severe, leading to hemorrhage, renal failure, and for a small fraction of even healthy patients, potentially can be fatal.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/594973049a7af5a3038b5bd2-1218/gettyimages-51093192.jpg" alt="lone star deer dog tick" data-mce-source="Getty Images" data-mce-caption="A Close Up Of An Adult Female Deer Tick, Dog Tick, And A Lone Star Tick Are Shown June 15, 2001 On The Palm Of A Hand. Ticks Cause An Acute Inflammatory Disease Characterized By Skin Changes, Joint Inflammation, And Flu-Like Symptoms Called Lyme Disease." /><p class="source"><span>Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">From left to right: deer tick, Lone Star tick, and dog tick.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>4. Deer ticks can also spread the <em><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/miyamotoi.html">Borrelia miyamotoi</a></em> bacteria, which Fish says is similar to the one that causes Lyme. Symptoms include joint pain, fatigue, fever, chills, and headache.</p><p>5. A relatively recently discovered disease that's spread by deer ticks as well as dog and Lone Star ticks is <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001381.htm">ehrlichiosis</a>, caused by a bacteria in the same family as the one responsible for Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Symptoms often present like the flu.</p><p>6. <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001381.htm">Powassan virus</a> has been around for a while but has received more attention recently, especially since the deer tick (which frequently bites humans) started spreading it - the ticks that transmitted the first reported cases in the 1950s rarely bite people. Unlike Lyme, which often takes many hours or even a couple days before it's transmitted, Powassan infection can occur in as little as 15 minutes. Not everyone who gets bitten by an infected tick gets sick, but if they do, it's a serious problem since there's no treatment. In those (still rare) cases, Fish says that there's about a 50% chance of permanent neurological damage and a 10% chance of death.</p><p>The broad range of potential conditions means that doctors don't even necessarily know what to look for. Even worse, "ticks can frequently be co-infected with more than one pathogen," says Tokarz. That's especially true in certain locations, like on Long Island. One bite could transmit both Lyme disease and babesiosis, conditions that would normally be treated quite differently.</p><p>It's also possible that having two or more illnesses could change the way the disease manifests. "We still don't know whether co-infection exacerbates a disease or doesn't make a difference," says Tokarz."Studies have shown both."</p><p>Unfortunately, we don't have any good way to control ticks and to stop the ongoing expansion, which will lead to more people getting sick.</p><p>In the places where people are at risk of picking up a tick "it is a very important, very severe problem, but the only thing that can be done is to educate people on the dangers of coming into contact with ticks," says Tokarz.</p><p>If you get one on you, pull it off right away - don't bother with urban legends about needing to burn it off. And protect yourself if you are going to be hiking or spending time in a place where ticks are common. Use <a href="https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/repellent-treated-clothing">permethrin-treated</a> clothing for outdoors work and use insect repellent that contains DEET.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/exercise-scientist-explains-proper-way-pushup-2017-6">An exercise scientist explains the proper way to do a push-up</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="BuZGFpYjE6te3nxLV5cpfzQQVXLRQRPx" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'BuZGFpYjE6te3nxLV5cpfzQQVXLRQRPx',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

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