Spending time outdoors is a wonderful way to connect with nature, but the warm weather also brings out unwanted woodland pests like ticks. A striking example of this danger occurred in mid-June 2026, when USA Today reported that a 66-year-old New Hampshire man was hospitalized for weeks following a tick bite. What began as severe exhaustion quickly deteriorated, requiring two weeks of treatment at Concord Hospital before he was transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital for specialized intensive care.
Public health officials are deeply concerned because the man contracted the Powassan virus, a rare but exceptionally serious tick-borne illness. Unlike more common bacterial infections, Powassan is a virus that specifically attacks the human central nervous system. Because it is viral, conventional antibiotics are completely ineffective, and there is currently no vaccine or specific treatment available to cure it.
With Powassan virus cases on the rise over the last few years, understanding how this pathogen operates is the best first line of defense for outdoor enthusiasts. By learning how the virus affects the body and its biological mechanisms, you can better protect yourself and prevent these dangerous pests from entering your home.
What’s the worst disease you can get from a tick?
Many people think ticks only transmit Lyme disease outdoors; however, the Powassan virus is one of the worst and most aggressive neurological diseases a person can get from an infected vector. Lyme disease is an infection caused by bacteria that usually develops over several days and can be effectively treated with a course of standard oral antibiotics. Powassan virus, however, is a flavivirus that can infect a human host in as little as the time it takes for a tick to attach to the skin.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that it is a viral pathogen and that standard antibiotics are ineffective against it. The virus can penetrate the blood-brain barrier at terrifying speed, causing inflammation of brain tissue. The speed of this development makes it particularly dangerous compared with other tick-borne diseases in this area.
What is the Powassan virus?
Powassan virus is a zoonotic disease transmitted to humans via infected ticks and occurs very rarely in the United States. The virus is a member of the Flaviviridae family, which includes other major viruses that threaten global health, such as Dengue, Yellow Fever and West Nile virus.
According to the Defense Health Agency, the pathogen was first discovered by medical researchers in 1958 in Powassan, Ontario, Canada, after it caused a severe case of encephalitis in a young patient.
In the United States, the majority of reported Powassan cases are in the Northeast and Great Lakes Regions. It is transmitted only on certain dates in the year when nymph and adult ticks are actively looking for a host in nature. This occurs from the end of spring through mid-fall.
Unlike respiratory viruses (such as the common cold or flu), which can be spread through respiratory droplets or casual skin-to-skin contact, this virus is not spread directly between people. However, in very rare, isolated cases, public health records show the virus being transmitted through contaminated blood transfusions.
What’s happening in your body
The virus is transmitted to the local skin tissue via the salivary secretions of an infected tick that bites a human. The virus particles then enter and rapidly multiply within local immune cells, ultimately spreading in the bloodstream to create a systemic infection.
According to NIH, the real risk with Powassan virus is when the infection enters the central nervous system. The virus attacks neurons and glial cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to a massive, uncontrolled inflammatory response.
This internal swelling interferes with normal cellular communication and impairs blood flow within neural pathways. It is a very serious neuroinflammatory condition that can result in physical manifestations such as encephalitis (brain infection) or meningitis (inflammation of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord).
Symptoms of the Powassan virus
A Powassan virus infection has two major clinical phases: a localized response and a systemic neurological response. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the first initial signs and symptoms are:
- A sudden, unexplained high fever
- Intense, persistent headaches
- Repeated bouts of vomiting
- Generalized, profound muscle weakness
The virus replicates, leading to progressive neuroinflammation and a second stage of disease. This swelling within the brain capsule exerts tremendous mechanical pressure on central nervous system pathways, resulting in acute confusion, complete loss of physical coordination and severe inability to articulate. The inflammatory fluid may over-stimulate the brain’s electrical pathways, causing violent, uncontrollable seizures and then unconsciousness.
Health risks and complications
There are severe health complications, with a high mortality rate and permanent life-altering neurological damage, when someone is diagnosed with the Powassan virus.
The CDC reports that about one in every 10 people infected with the Powassan virus will tragically succumb to the disease that affects the nervous system. If someone survives the acute stage of encephalitis or meningitis, long-term recovery needs intensive rehabilitation.
“About half of all severe survivors will experience long-term, chronic health issues. Be sure you get long-term nutritional support,” explains Anne Kamwila, Healthcare Policy Analyst. “These are chronic and permanent issues, like frequent debilitating headaches and loss of muscle mass and strength overall, that cannot be recovered from. The viral neuro-inflammation results in deep tissue scarring that also causes permanent memory problems, cognitive delays and seizure disorders in many survivors that require lifelong treatment.”
What to do about tick bites
There are no approved vaccines to prevent Powassan virus and no antiviral medicines to treat the disease at this time, so prevention is all you have.
The only way to reduce your risk is to avoid tick encounters altogether when you go outside, according to the Mayo Clinic. Always avoid entering deep leaf-litter areas with high grass and brush when hiking, because ticks lie in wait for a host. Be sure to walk on the trail and avoid touching vegetation, especially if the trail is already established.
When coming inside from the woods or grassy spots, don’t simply toss your clothes into the laundry hamper. Ticks can survive a normal wash cycle, so after you come in from outdoors, put your clothes straight into the clothes dryer and tumble them on high heat for 10 minutes or more. The strong, hot and dry air eliminates any ticks that might be hiding or crawling around, killing them right on the spot before they can reach your skin.
The CDC advises using special products containing 0.5% permethrin to treat all clothing, boots and camping gear worn outdoors to create a chemical barrier. Always use an insect repellent labeled by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for direct application to skin before going outside, and choose repellents with active ingredients such as DEET or picaridin.
When to see a doctor
If you develop a sudden high fever, an unmanageable headache or severe vomiting within two weeks of being bitten by a tick, you should seek emergency medical evaluation. There’s no specific treatment for severe Powassan virus infection, so care is supportive in the hospital.
This supportive care involves intravenous fluids to keep you hydrated, drugs to stop the seizures and sophisticated breathing assistance to decrease swelling in the skull. Always check the whole body for ticks when you come in from outside, as this will help to avoid catching potential vectors carrying the virus. Carefully check high-risk hiding places, such as:
- Under the arms and around the waist
- In and directly around the ears
- Deep inside the belly button
- The back of the knees and between the legs
- In and completely through your hair
What kills ticks in the yard?
The best way to prevent your immediate environment from becoming a breeding ground for vectors is to be proactive in your landscaping and remove the microclimates that vectors like. Ticks do not survive in direct sunlight as they are very sensitive to drying out.
Environmental guidelines from the CDC recommend keeping your lawn short and regularly raking away piles of damp leaves and thick brush, which are their main shelter. Maintaining a three-foot-wide area, clear of vegetation and filled with dry wood chips or crushed gravel, between wooded borders and your lawn will prevent ticks from entering your recreational areas.
Targeted, EPA-approved acaricides (tick pesticides) can also be used by homeowners in late spring to significantly reduce local tick populations safely around the perimeter of their property for structural protection.
Bottom line
The long-term hospitalization of a New Hampshire man highlights that the Powassan virus is a rare but exceptionally severe tick-borne illness that causes life-threatening brain infections. Because the virus carries a 10% mortality rate and leaves half of its severe victims with permanent neurological damage, recognizing initial signs like fevers and confusion is critical for securing early supportive hospital care. By utilizing permethrin-treated gear, staying in the center of paths and conducting immediate full-body checks, individuals can successfully enjoy the outdoors while protecting themselves from this hidden threat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the odds of getting Powassan?
While the overall statistical odds of contracting the Powassan virus remain incredibly low across the United States, your individual risk climbs noticeably if you live in the Northeast or Great Lakes regions and spend significant time in wooded areas without protective repellents.
Can ticks survive a shower?
Yes, ticks can easily survive a standard shower because their flat, rugged bodies allow them to cling tightly to the skin and withstand running water, making a meticulous physical palpation check necessary even after washing.
Citations
Vetter E, Moniuszko S. Man hospitalized for weeks with tick-borne illness. What is Powassan virus? USA TODAY. Published June 16, 2026. Accessed June 24, 2026. https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2026/06/16/what-is-powassan-virus-tick-borne-illness/90569628007/
Boardman SA, Hetherington C, Hughes T, et al. Viral Infection and the Blood-Brain Barrier: Molecular Research Insights and Therapies. The Journal of Infectious Diseases. Published online 2025:jiaf455. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiaf455
Defense Health Agency. Powassan Virus – Defense Centers for Public Health – Aberdeen. Health.mil. Published 2026. https://ph.health.mil/topics/entomology/vbd/Pages/Powassan.aspx
Kapoor AK, Zash R. Powassan Virus. PubMed. Published 2021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK570599/
CDC. Clinical Signs and Symptoms of Powassan Virus Disease. Powassan Virus. Published May 20, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/hcp/clinical-signs/index.html
CDC. Symptoms of Powassan. Powassan Virus. Published June 23, 2026. Accessed June 24, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/signs-symptoms/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fpowassan%2Fsymptoms-diagnosis-treatment%2Findex.html
Howland J. Mayo Clinic Minute: How to avoid ticks – Mayo Clinic News Network. Mayo Clinic News Network. Published May 20, 2022. Accessed June 24, 2026. https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-how-to-avoid-ticks/
CDC. About Permethrin-Treated Clothing and Gear. Mosquitoes. Published 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/prevention/about-permethrin-treated-clothing-and-gear.html