Rare Tick-Borne Illness Identified In Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, RI — A case of the rare tick-borne virus Powassan was identified in Providence County, the Rhode Island Department of Health said Tuesday. Just four cases have been idenitified in the state over the past decade.

The case was in an otherwise healthy 70-year-old-man, the department said. He developed neurological symptoms and is recovering.

Powassan is most often found in the Northeast, Great Lakes region and parts of eastern Canada. Over the past 10 years, approximately 166 cases were identified in the United States. While the disease is rare, cases have increased in recent years, the Department of Health said.

From 2010 to 2019, 56 cases were identified in New England: 31 in Massachusetts, eight in Connecticut, eight in Maine, five in New Hampshire and four in Rhode Island.

Common symptoms of the virus include fever, headache, vomiting and a general feeling of weakness. The disease usually progresses to meningoencephalitis, which may include meningeal signs, altered mental status, seizures, difficulty understanding or speaking, muscle weakness or paralysis, movement disorders or cranial nerve palsies, RIDOH said. Serious cases often require hospitalization.

Because there is no vaccine or treatment for Powassan, the best way to protect oneself is by preventing exposure to ticks, the department said.

Follow these tips from the Rhode Island departments of health and environmental management to repel, check for and remove ticks when spending time outdoors. Read more on the Department of Health's website.

Repel

• Avoiding wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaves. If you are going to be in a wooded area, walk in the center of the trail to avoid contact with overgrown grass, brush, and leaves at the edges of the trail. You can also spray your clothes with permethrin to keep ticks away. Make sure to not spray this on your skin.
• Wearing long pants and long-sleeve shirts when outside. o Tucking your pants into your socks so ticks do not crawl under your clothes. o Wearing light-colored clothing so you can see ticks more easily.

Check

• Taking a shower as soon as you come inside if you have been in grassy or wooded areas.
• Doing a full-body tick check using a mirror; parents should check their kids for ticks and pay special attention to the area in and around the ears, in the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and in their hair.
• Checking your pets for ticks as well because they can bring ticks into the home.

Remove

• Use a set of tweezers to remove the tick. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull straight up.
• If you don't have tweezers, use your fingers with a tissue or rubber gloves.