As per the Connecticut Department of Public Health reports, a woman aged between ninety to ninety- nine from New London County was reported to be sick in early May. She had headaches, fever, chills, nausea, and chest pain. The DPH said that the woman’s health became worse over time and she stooped responding to the treatment. Alas, on May 17, she died.
Powassan Virus can spread through a bite of infected black-legged deer ticks. The virus can be transferred into the body within fifteen minutes of the tick getting attached to the skin.
DPH’s reports state that this woman from New London County had a tick mark on her body, and the mark was removed 2 weeks before she started to show the symptoms.
The first person who tested positive for Powassan Virus is from Windham County, aged between fifty to fifty-nine. In late March, he began showing symptoms and was admitted to the hospital.
From the span 2017 to 2022, there have been twelve reported cases of Powassan Virus in Connecticut. Three patients were reported in 2021. Out of these twelve cases, two cases were fatal.
The DPH added that one in every ten cases is fatal, while half of the affected people witness damaged health throughout their lives.
What are the precautionary steps to be taken as directed by DPH?
- The Health Officials urged residents to take preventive measures and avoid getting tick bite marks.
- People should use insect repellent most of the time.
- People should avoid high areas such as tall grasses as this is the place where ticks breed.
- Also, the Health Officials have asked the residents to monitor their houses for ticks’ presence constantly.
- Fall is the time when Powassan Virus spreads.
What is Powassan Virus?
Powassan Virus can spread through a bite of infected black-legged deer ticks. The virus can be transferred into the body within fifteen minutes of the tick attached to the skin. Symptoms are likely to develop one week to one month after the bite. As per the Health Officials, many people do not show symptoms like mild flu symptoms. At the same time, some people’s nervous system gets severely affected. Symptoms include headaches, fever, vomiting, seizures, weakness, confusion, speaking problems, etc. As of now, there’s no vaccine for this virus; people are treated by giving support to their respiratory system and keeping them hydrated at the hospital.
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