What is Powassan Virus?

Powassan virus is a rare but serious virus spread through the bite of an infected tick. This virus is mostly detected in the northeastern US and parts of the upper midwest. This pamphlet provides a overview of how Powassan virus is spread, where it occurs, symptoms of illness, and what individuals can do to prevent being bitten by ticks infected with this virus. Thank you to the following individuals for their expertise and assistance in developing this fact sheet: Lindsay Baxter, MS; Laura Harrington, PhD.Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-borne Diseases is supported through Cooperative Agreement Number 1U01CK000509-01 between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Cornell University. The contents of this fact sheet are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC or the Department of Health and Human Services