New Stony Brook University research on tick-borne Powassan virus shows more risk for elderly
Deer ticks, such as the one seen here, can transmit Powassan virus to people. Researchers at Stony Brook University are investigating how the virus could be especially dangerous for older people. Credit: Stony Brook University
A Stony Brook University scientist who is trying to unravel the mechanisms of Powassan virus, which causes a potentially dangerous tick-borne disease, recently published research showing it may trigger serious neurological damage in elderly patients.
The virus, which is still rare but has infected an increasing number of people in recent years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also can cause serious illnesses such as encephalitis and meningitis.
The problem is emerging in the northeast United States because more animals are carrying it, ticks are distributing it and doctors are learning how to diagnose it, according to the Stony Brook study.
About 1 in 10 people develop a severe version of the disease and about half have long-term health problems. It is spread to humans by three types of ticks, including the black-legged or deer tick, federal and state health officials said.
Black-legged ticks also carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease but there is one major difference. Ticks carrying that bacteria usually need to be attached to a person for more than 24 hours in order to infect them. However, ticks can transmit the Powassan virus after being attached to a person for only about 15 minutes.
No cases of Powassan virus disease have been reported in New York so far this year, according to New York State Department of Health officials. They said, in general, between 1 and 9 cases are reported every year.
Early symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting and weakness. Some can develop into serious neurological illnesses involving the central nervous system.
Erich Mackow, professor of microbiology and immunology at Stony Brook’s Renaissance School of Medicine, focused his research on that group of patients in the study published in the American Society for Microbiology’s Journal of Virology in early August.
How age contributes to severe Powassan virus encephalitis "remains an enigma," Mackow and his colleagues wrote in the paper.
Their research on mice showed the immune systems of older mice who have been infected with the virus can have neurological damage. But when younger mice are infected, their immune systems help repair the neurological damage.
While Powassan virus can damage the central nervous system of mice both young and old, it's 10 times more likely to be lethal in the older mice, Mackow said.
That reflects "the enhanced severity" of Powassan virus encephalitis in people over 60, according to the professor.
Mackow said this information could help with other research, such as developing treatments and a vaccine for the virus. There currently are none of either.
So far this year, 34 cases of Powassan virus disease have been reported in the United States across nine states, according to the CDC. The majority of the cases were in Massachusetts and Wisconsin.
The federal agency also said preliminary data shows there were 49 cases in 2023 and 47 in 2022. By comparison there were just 15 cases reported in 2013.
An examination on the historical data shows there were 64 cases reported to the CDC between 2004 and 2013 while there were 270 cases between 2014 and 2023, according to a June report in the publication Clinical Microbiology and Infection.
A Powassan virus infection is diagnosed based on symptoms, blood tests or spinal fluid tests, according to state health officials. They said the tests typically detect antibodies against the viral infection.
Experts said the best way to avoid the virus is for people to protect themselves against tick bites by wearing light-colored clothing while hiking or spending time in wooded areas, checking clothes and skin frequently for ticks and using repellents.
The virus is named for the municipality of Powassan in Ontario, Canada, where it was discovered in 1958.
A Stony Brook University scientist who is trying to unravel the mechanisms of Powassan virus, which causes a potentially dangerous tick-borne disease, recently published research showing it may trigger serious neurological damage in elderly patients.
The virus, which is still rare but has infected an increasing number of people in recent years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also can cause serious illnesses such as encephalitis and meningitis.
The problem is emerging in the northeast United States because more animals are carrying it, ticks are distributing it and doctors are learning how to diagnose it, according to the Stony Brook study.
About 1 in 10 people develop a severe version of the disease and about half have long-term health problems. It is spread to humans by three types of ticks, including the black-legged or deer tick, federal and state health officials said.
Black-legged ticks also carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease but there is one major difference. Ticks carrying that bacteria usually need to be attached to a person for more than 24 hours in order to infect them. However, ticks can transmit the Powassan virus after being attached to a person for only about 15 minutes.
No cases of Powassan virus disease have been reported in New York so far this year, according to New York State Department of Health officials. They said, in general, between 1 and 9 cases are reported every year.
Early symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting and weakness. Some can develop into serious neurological illnesses involving the central nervous system.
Erich Mackow, professor of microbiology and immunology at Stony Brook’s Renaissance School of Medicine, focused his research on that group of patients in the study published in the American Society for Microbiology’s Journal of Virology in early August.
How age contributes to severe Powassan virus encephalitis "remains an enigma," Mackow and his colleagues wrote in the paper.
Their research on mice showed the immune systems of older mice who have been infected with the virus can have neurological damage. But when younger mice are infected, their immune systems help repair the neurological damage.
While Powassan virus can damage the central nervous system of mice both young and old, it's 10 times more likely to be lethal in the older mice, Mackow said.
That reflects "the enhanced severity" of Powassan virus encephalitis in people over 60, according to the professor.
Mackow said this information could help with other research, such as developing treatments and a vaccine for the virus. There currently are none of either.
So far this year, 34 cases of Powassan virus disease have been reported in the United States across nine states, according to the CDC. The majority of the cases were in Massachusetts and Wisconsin.
The federal agency also said preliminary data shows there were 49 cases in 2023 and 47 in 2022. By comparison there were just 15 cases reported in 2013.
An examination on the historical data shows there were 64 cases reported to the CDC between 2004 and 2013 while there were 270 cases between 2014 and 2023, according to a June report in the publication Clinical Microbiology and Infection.
A Powassan virus infection is diagnosed based on symptoms, blood tests or spinal fluid tests, according to state health officials. They said the tests typically detect antibodies against the viral infection.
Experts said the best way to avoid the virus is for people to protect themselves against tick bites by wearing light-colored clothing while hiking or spending time in wooded areas, checking clothes and skin frequently for ticks and using repellents.
The virus is named for the municipality of Powassan in Ontario, Canada, where it was discovered in 1958.
Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.
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