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The most dangerous virus in the United States has killed a New York resident, public health officials said Thursday. The man died as a result of a viral disease transmitted by ticks, called Powbadan fever. Although Powbadan cases are rare, this is one of many tick-borne diseases that are becoming more common.
According to the Ulster County Health Department, the local resident succumbed to the disease earlier this week. His death also marks the first reported case of Powbadan in the state this year. The state says it sees zero to six cases a year.
"It is imperative that all residents take all necessary precautions against tick-borne diseases, especially during outdoor activities. Residents must check themselves and their pets for ticks and tick bites, "said Carol Smith, Ulster County's Commissioner of Health and Mental Health, in a statement.
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The Powbadan bullet-shaped virus is linked to other viruses transmitted by six- and eight-legged creatures, such as Zika, dengue fever and yellow fever. It is spread by the blood bite of three Ixodes tick species in the United States – the blacklegged tick or deer, squirrel tick and marmot tick; these ticks catch the infected rodent virus. But among the three species, only the tick, which also spreads Lyme disease, stings regularly. Like the deer tick, Powbadan cases are generally limited to the eastern half of the United States.
People infected with Powbadan often have no symptoms. But when people get sick, they usually suffer from fever, headaches, vomiting and general muscle weakness. An unlucky minority can also develop a serious neurological infection. Of these more serious infections, about 10% of people die, while half of them have persistent neurological problems. There is currently no specific treatment or vaccine against Powbadan.
In the case of Ulster man, health officials said he was suffering from underlying health problems that may have contributed to his death.
The more deadly neurological infections of Powbadan are rare. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 21 cases have been reported in the country in 2018. In New York, 19 cases have been reported in the last decade, until 2018.
More than anything, however, this last case is a particularly sinister reminder that ticks and insects make us sicker (partly because of climate change). Powbadan does not have much weight, but cases of tick-borne diseases, mosquitoes and flea bites have more than tripled from 2004 to 2016 and have continued to increase, according to the CDC. Ticks are the main culprit, Lyme disease being the most common disease, but we are continually discovering new diseases and diseases transmitted by ticks.
Since the tick season extends from late spring to fall, people who venture or live regularly in grbady, swept or wooded areas should do everything in their power to protect bites.
The CDC recommends treating your clothing and equipment with repellents containing 0.5% permethrin (pretreated garments also work) on the outside, while people should spray repellents containing DEET, picaridine, IR3535, lemon eucalyptus oil (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone on themselves. Then people should check if they, their pets or their clothes are not ticks, possibly taking a shower, within two hours of arriving inside.
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