In a follow-up on a report from late July, Maine health officials reported the fourth Powassan virus case of 2026 the week ending August 22, according to the Maine Weekly Arboviral Surveillance Report published Tuesday.
Health authorities report the most recent case is from Penobscot County, the second case from that county this year (also cases from York and Lincoln counties were reported earlier this year).
Powassan virus (POWV) is the only endemic arbovirus spread by ticks in Maine.
Powassan virus is spread to people through the bite of an infected blacklegged, or deer tick. It takes from one week to one month after the bite of an infected tick to develop symptoms of POWV disease, and the virus can be transmitted in as little as 15 minutes after the tick first attaches. Powassan virus associated illness has been reported from early spring until late fall.
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While most people infected with Powassan likely experience no symptoms or a mild flu-like illness, some people will develop severe illness affecting the central nervous system. About one out of 10 cases of severe illness are fatal and approximately half of survivors experience long-term health problems. Severe cases may begin with fever, vomiting, headache, or weakness and rapidly progress to confusion, loss of coordination, difficulty speaking, or seizures. There is no vaccine nor a specific treatment for POWV associated illness. Severe illness is treated by supportive therapy which may include hospitalization, respiratory support, and hydration.
On the Elizabeth Islands near Marthas VIneyard we have lone star, dog and deer ticks, and while we have not yet identified powassan virus here we expect it. A decade back, when many community members had suffered from Lyme, babesiosis, tuleremia, anaplasmosis, etc. we saw that we would never get ahead of all the new horrors coming from ticks and we devised a simple permethrin-treated oversock to block, repel and kill ticks on the foot and lower leg where they hop on. We also turned the top down to trap climbing ticks. The result has been a substantial drop in tick bites, and we are able once again to walk in the fields and forests feeling far more secure. We call them Ticktogs and we received so much interest from outside our community that we made up a big batch locally and you can find them online. We hope they help pthers as they have helped us.