BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 29, 2021
A Waldo County resident has contracted the Powassan virus, a rare tick-borne disease that in severe cases can cause brain infections. That makes it the first recorded Powassan infection seen in Maine this year, and only the ninth since 2010. The Waldo County resident, who likely became infected in Maine, is recovering after a stay in the hospital. Deer ticks can also carry bacteria that cause Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis and other illnesses. Many people infected with the viruses carried by ticks and mosquitoes do not have symptoms. No specific treatment is available for these viral diseases.