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Powassan virus can mimic West Nile, trigger encephalitis. (Rare Tick-Borne Illness).
NEW YORK -- Surveillance for West Nile virus in the northeastern United States has revealed the continuing emergence of encephalitis caused by another flavivirus: Powassan virus.
Although still rare, illness caused by this virus can be life threatening, Dr. Mary S. Holman said at an international conference on tick-borne diseases sponsored by Imedex.
Powassan virus was first identified in North America in 1958, when a 5-year-old boy from Powassan, Ont., died of encephalitis. Since that time, 31 cases have been documented, Dr. Holman said.
Four of these cases have occurred during 2000-2001 in Maine and Vermont, said Dr. Holman of the Maine Medical Center Vector-Borne Disease Research Laboratory, Portland. These cases were identified when patients with encephalitis tested negative for West Nile virus, and this finding prompted further investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cases also have occurred in New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. Of the 27 initial cases ...