Aspirus Highlights Growing Tick-Borne Threat
Powassan Virus Confirmed in Wisconsin
7/8/2025
Dr. James Thatcher, Aspirus Tick-Borne Illness Center
A rare but
potentially deadly tick-borne illness is making headlines in Wisconsin after
health officials confirmed recent cases of Powassan virus. The virus,
transmitted by the same blacklegged tick that spreads Lyme disease, has
clinicians on alert and public health experts urging vigilance.
Powassan virus is
part of the flavivirus family, a group of viruses that includes more familiar
names like West Nile, Zika, and Dengue. Unlike its mosquito-borne cousins,
Powassan is transmitted exclusively by the Ixodes scapularis, or blacklegged
tick. These ticks are known carriers of multiple pathogens and once
transmitted, the virus can move rapidly through the bloodstream to the brain,
causing viral encephalitis, a dangerous swelling of the brain that may result
in long-term neurological damage or even death.
Dr. James
Thatcher, a physician at the Aspirus Tick-Borne Illness Center, said the
symptoms can be severe. “Fevers and headaches, malaise, not eating, not
drinking, not communicating, so, basically, brain on fire symptoms we would
call it.”
Unlike Lyme disease,
which can often be treated with antibiotics, Powassan virus has no widely
recognized cure. It attacks the nervous system and can lead to viral
encephalitis, inflammation of the brain, which can be fatal or result in
long-term neurological issues.
“Classically, the
early Lyme arthritis is going to be joint pain, migratory joint pain. You may
or may not get that with viral encephalitis,” Dr. Thatcher added. “Because, it
is mostly going to be more internal suffering, less physical suffering, but neurological
Lyme disease can look a lot like Powassan infection.”
Although the virus
remains rare, its severity is alarming. According to reports from state health
officials, three adults in Wisconsin have been hospitalized with the virus this
summer, and one person has died. Young children, the elderly, immunocompromised,
and people living alone are especially vulnerable.
“We can't live our
lives in fear. People die of Rocky Mountain spotted fever every year, with or
without the rash,” Dr. Thatcher stated. “My biggest concern with viral
encephalitis is dehydration. Because if you're not drinking and you're not
nourishing yourself, you start to fall behind an infection.”
Dr. Thatcher
emphasized that early prevention is key. While chemicals like DEET, Permethrin,
and Picaridin remain effective tick repellents, the Aspirus Tick-Borne Illness
Center also promotes natural alternatives.
“There are natural
herbs like cedarwood oil, lemongrass, thyme, clove that help repel ticks, but
also the other bugs,” he added. “You know, the mosquitoes that bring us those
viral illnesses, the biting flies that bring us Bartonella and some other things
that maybe are worse than Lyme disease. So, we got to protect ourselves from
all bugs.”
The Powassan virus
can incubate quickly, and testing is limited. That’s why Dr. Thatcher
recommends acting fast after a tick bite and staying in contact with loved ones
if you begin to feel ill. If you or a loved one has been bitten by a tick and
develops symptoms like fever, severe headache, or confusion, seek medical care
immediately.
To learn about the
Aspirus Tick-Borne Illness Center in Woodruff, please visit aspius.org.
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