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Heath officials are investigating whether an extremely rare tick-borne disease killed a man in Sussex County who died after he said he was bitten by a tick while gardening, according to a New Jersey Herald report.
Two cases of the often deadly Powassan virus were confirmed in New Jersey's northernmost county earlier this week, public health officials said. The disease, which is transmitted by ticks, has no known cure.
One of the people affected – identified by Armand Desormeaux, an 80-year-old Hampton resident by the New Jersey Herald – died May 16 after contracting the virus. The exact cause of his death is still under investigation and it is unclear whether Powassan or another health problem has killed Desormeaux.
Dianne Rude, Desormeaux's daughter, told New Jersey Herald that her father was stopping the tick while gardening on April 15, but that he did not think much about the sting, no rash was ever formed.
Desormeaux began feverishness a few weeks later and his condition quickly deteriorated, his daughter told the newspaper. He suffered from violent tremors and began to lose the use of his limbs before he died.
The second Powassan case in Sussex County involves an unidentified person convalescing in convalescence, according to Health Ministry spokeswoman Donna Leusner.
Powassan virus affects the central nervous system and can cause brain swelling, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Powassan virus can be transmitted to humans by blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks. The virus is fatal for about 10% of people who contract it. About half of the survivors suffer from permanent neurological problems, including recurrent headaches and memory loss.
There is no vaccine or drug to treat the virus, which was first identified in Powassan, Ontario in 1958.
Leusner said New Jersey had 10 confirmed cases of Powassan virus since 2013, including the last two cases. Powassan was first discovered in New Jersey in 2013, following the death of a Warren County woman.
Michael Sol Warren can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @MSolDub. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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