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Powassan virus is deadlier than Lyme disease — but do you need to worry?

An engorged tick biting into human flesh. <i>(Image via Getty).</i>
An engorged tick biting into human flesh. (Image via Getty).

Lyme disease is reason enough to steer clear of pesky ticks, but experts are reporting the spread of a far deadlier tick-borne disease — one that has no treatment.

It’s called Powassan virus and it’s transmitted by deer ticks just like Lyme disease. However, studies show that all a tick needs is 15 minutes on your body to transmit the killer bacteria — Lyme disease needs 24 hours to do that.

The good news is Powassan is still relatively rare in Canada, says Dr. Matthew Gilmour, the scientific director general of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s national microbiology laboratory.

“Thankfully, it’s actually in very few ticks,” he told CTV on Thursday.

“We’ve done a lot of testing of ticks, we’ve tested thousands of them, and we’ve found only a handful of ticks are carrying this virus.”

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Ixodes scapularis, commonly known as the ‘deer tick’ or ‘blacklegged tick’ has been found to carry the virus. <em>(Image via Getty)</em>
Ixodes scapularis, commonly known as the ‘deer tick’ or ‘blacklegged tick’ has been found to carry the virus. (Image via Getty)

The risk, however, is highest during late spring to early summer. Symptoms show a week to a month after being bitten. The indicators include fever, headache, loss of coordination, trouble speaking, and even seizures — and all doctors can do is treat the symptoms while your immune system fights the virus.

Ten percent of Powassan cases are fatal, and 50 percent of cases result in permanent neurological damage, because the virus causes inflammation in the brain.

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With Northern winters warming up, public health officials in both Canada and the United States say tick population are growing, which could lead to more tick-borne infections of all types.

Gilmour says the best way to fight Powassan virus is to avoid getting bitten by ticks in the first place, using the following tips:

  • Wear long pants if you’re out on a hike

  • Use insect repellent

  • Checking your entire body for ticks after time spent in wooded areas

  • Carefully remove any you find as soon as possible

  • For those in rural areas, keep grass on your property short and rake up leaves

  • If you develop an unexplained fever and a headache after time in the woods, see your doctor

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