Doctors are raising the alarm about a new and potentially deadly tick-borne illness spreading across the country. It’s called the Powassan virus. It’s carried by the same tick that carries Lyme disease. If you’re going to spend any time outside this summer, doctors say you need to learn what to look for. Tick-borne illnesses are on the rise across the country. It’s not just a disease of certain regions anymore like it used to be a decade ago.
In Oregon, about 40 or 50 cases of Lyme disease annually have been reported for the last six years, according to the state Public Health Division. Throughout the early 1990s, there were only a handful of cases. Most cases now are diagnosed in summer months, the highest in June. In 2015, there were 120 cases of Lyme disease in dogs, the agency reported. According to the Georgia Department of Health, no cases of the Powassan virus have been reported in this state yet, but that could change soon, Dr. Taz Bhatia said. READ MORE
