Powassan encephalitis, caused by the Powassan virus (POWV), a flavivirus also known as the deer tick virus, is a form of arbovirus infection that results from tick bites. It can occur as a co-infection with Lyme disease, as both are transmitted to humans by the same species of tick.[1] Over the last decade, there has been a surge in the number of cases and an expansion of its geographic range. In the United States, cases have been documented primarily in the northeast.[2] The disease was first isolated from the brain of a boy who died of encephalitis in Powassan, Ontario, in 1958.[3] This disease is classified as a zoonosis, originating in animals, often found in rodents and ticks, with subsequent transmission to humans. The virus shares antigenic similarities with the Far Eastern tick-borne encephalitis viruses.[4]
Presentation
Symptoms manifest within 7–10 days and include fever, headache, partial paralysis, confusion, nausea and even coma.[citation needed]
Diagnosis
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