First Human Case of Powassan Virus Disease in Allegheny County
PITTSBURGH –The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) announced today it identified the first human case of Powassan virus disease in the county. Powassan virus disease is a tickborne disease spread to people via a bite from an infected blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), the same tick that can transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.
The child who tested positive for Powassan virus disease resides in northern Allegheny County. They experienced fever and other symptoms, leading to hospitalization. They are recovering at home. To protect the patient’s privacy, no further information will be released by the ACHD regarding the case.
This is the first reported case of Powassan virus disease in Allegheny County, and the first reported case in Pennsylvania this year. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the ACHD Vector Control Program are collaborating on an enhanced tick surveillance plan for the area where the case was identified. The Powassan virus was identified in a small percentage of adult ticks from northern Allegheny County in 2021 and 2023.
According to the CDC, many people who are infected with Powassan virus disease do not experience symptoms. Those who do may experience fever, headache, vomiting, and weakness. Some individuals experience severe illness, which can be fatal. Others who experience severe illness may develop long-term health problems. There is no vaccine to prevent infection and no medicine to treat the disease.
Powassan virus disease is a rare condition, but reports of infections are increasing, mostly in the northeast and Great Lakes regions of the United States.
Individuals who believe they may have been bitten by a tick and exposed to a tickborne disease should contact their healthcare provider.
The ACHD urges residents to protect themselves from tick bites by avoiding wooded and brushy areas, using repellants with DEET for skin or permethrin for clothing and shoes, showering after being outdoors, checking for ticks and removing ticks as soon as possible.
For more information on Powassan virus disease, including frequently asked questions about prevention, symptoms, and transmission, visit the CDC’s webpage on the disease. https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/cause-and-spread/index.html
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