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- New York has reported the first fatal case of this season's Powbadan virus, an incurable tick-borne disease.
- Cases have also been confirmed in New Jersey and Maine.
- Powbadan, which can cause fatigue, vomiting and inflammation of the brain, is one of many serious tick-borne diseases.
- Visit the INSIDER homepage for more.
A resident of Gardiner, NY, died after being the first in the state to have been diagnosed with a rare virus transmitted by ticks, reported CNN. The victim had an underlying health problem, according to health officials.
According to the CDC, there is no treatment for the Powbadan virus, which often has serious health consequences, such as infection of the brain and spinal cord, resulting in disorientation, seizures, loss of coordination and speech.
Read more: 6 ways ticks can make you sick or kill you, from Lyme disease to Powbadan virus
Fever, headache, vomiting and fatigue are the first symptoms of the disease. They can appear a week to a month after being bitten by an infected tick.
Infected people have about 50% risk of permanent muscle or neurological damage, such as loss of strength and memory problems, and 10% risk of death, has previously been reported an insider signal.
Cases of the virus have also been discovered in northern New Jersey and Maine, where the disease has not been seen since 2017, reported CNN.
In addition to the Powbadan virus, ticks can also cause a myriad of other serious diseases, including Lyme disease.
Tick-borne illnesses of all kinds are increasing in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up more than 10,000 cases between 2016 and 2017.
The best way to stay safe is to protect yourself if you go hiking or if you spend time in a place where ticks are frequent, which are usually grbady or wooded areas during the warmer months. Use permethrin-treated clothing for outdoor work and use an insect repellent containing DEET. And, if you have a tick, remove it immediately.
Read more:
Now that it's been summer, here's everything you need to know about preventing tick-borne and mosquito-borne diseases
Mysterious Asian ticks carrying a deadly virus are spreading in the United States – and attempts to kill them are failing
Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases are skyrocketing – here's how to tell if you have Lyme disease
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