Summer is here and that means tick season which will hit the country much harder than the cities. You must be aware of what to do if you are bitten by a tick and also the symptoms of that bite. Powassan could be the deadliest disease you can get from ticks. There are three ticks which can transmit the disease including the deer tick, which also carries the Lyme disease. The main symptoms include flu like headaches and fever, which unless you know you were bitten by a tick, could go untreated and lead to death. This season conditions are right for a huge increase in the number of ticks, making this a very dangerous time.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that most cases of the Powassan virus have occurred in the Northeast and Great Lakes region. The virus has the potential to infect the central nervous system, causing inflammation of the brain or the surrounding membrane. Almost half of the survivors report long-term neurological symptoms even after recovery, saying they still suffer from memory loss, muscle wasting, and recurring headaches.
“About 15% of patients who are infected and have symptoms are not going survive,” said Dr. Jennifer Lyons, an assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, according to CNN. “Of the survivors, at least 50% will have long-term neurological damage that is not going to resolve.”
Usually, there are only mild, flu-like symptoms associated with Powassan, meaning that those infected may not be able to catch the infection in time.
“You basically feel nonspecific flu-like stuff,” said Lyons, “muscle aches and pains; maybe you have a little rash on your skin, but almost certainly, you’ll have a fever and the headache.”
Ticks are most active in the Spring and Summer months. Because the weather has been much warmer than usual the last two years doctors fear a huge increase in the number of people who are afflicted by these diseases. Even though 85% of the people survive these diseases, up to 50% of those will suffer long-term neurological damage. This means you would have a 90% chance of becoming a liberal. Have your garlic and wooden stakes ready.
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