Powassan Virus News and Research

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Powassan is a genus of viruses from the family Flaviviridae. The West Nile virus, dengue virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus, yellow fever virus, and Zika virus, among others, are viruses in this class. The Powassan virus was initially discovered in Powassan, Ontario, Canada in 1958. It does not have a cure.

West Nile virus surges to highest incidence since 2012

Researchers discuss the surveillance of West Nile virus and other arboviruses in the United States.

29 Aug 2023

Broadly neutralizing antibodies show promise in preventing tick-borne encephalitis in mice

Tick-borne encephalitis is a disease just as nasty as it sounds. Once bitten by an infected tick, some people develop flu-like symptoms that resolve quietly but leave behind rampant neurological disease--brain swelling, memory loss, and cognitive decline.

9 Apr 2021

First-of-its-kind synthetic DNA vaccine designed against Powassan virus

Scientists at The Wistar Institute have designed and tested the first-of-its-kind synthetic DNA vaccine against Powassan virus (POWV), targeting portions of the virus envelope protein.

30 Oct 2020

Scientists discover cell protein crucial in preventing viral replication

A research team has discovered a protein without which cells infected by viruses cannot trigger an immune response, leading to 100% mortality with even non-disease-producing strains. The discovery of the new Z-DNA binding protein, or ZBP1, was reported in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology. It could help develop new treatment methods for viruses that target the nervous system such as the Zika or West Nile Encephalitis virus.

6 Nov 2019

Ticks now carrying multiple diseases, says new study

A new study published in the journal mBio reports that ticks carry many more disease-causing agents than just those responsible for causing Lyme disease.

17 Sep 2019

Tick’s salivary glands could become key research tools for studying virus transmission

The salivary glands of some tick species could become important research tools for studying how viruses are transmitted from ticks to mammals, and for developing preventive medical countermeasures.

30 Jan 2019

Researchers develop vaccine effective against emerging tick-borne virus in mice

A group of researchers led by Michael Diamond of Washington University in St. Louis have developed a vaccine that is effective in mice against Powassan virus, an emerging tick-borne virus that can cause life-threatening encephalitis in humans.

27 Dec 2018

NIH officials highlight growing threat of tickborne diseases

The incidence of tickborne infections in the United States has risen significantly within the past decade. It is imperative, therefore, that public health officials and scientists build a robust understanding of pathogenesis, design improved diagnostics, and develop preventive vaccines, according to a new commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine from leading scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health

26 Jul 2018

Massachussetts public health department receives $100,000 grant to subsidize cost of tick testing

A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that warns of a recent surge of tick-borne disease incidence in the United States was no surprise to Massachusetts State Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Catherine Brown and microbiology professor Stephen Rich, director of the Laboratory of Medical Zoology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

9 May 2018

Ticks and mosquitoes a “growing health problem” says CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a new report warning people about the myriad of diseases that are transmitted via bites of blood-sucking insects such as ticks, mosquitoes and fleas calling it a “growing health problem” in the United States.

2 May 2018

New blood test shows promise to revolutionize diagnosis of tick-borne diseases

A new blood test called the Tick-Borne Disease Serochip (TBD Serochip) promises to revolutionize the diagnosis of tick-borne disease by offering a single test to identify and distinguish between Borrelia burgdorferi, the pathogen responsible for Lyme disease, and seven other tick-borne pathogens.

18 Feb 2018

Viruses closely related to Zika may cause fetal brain damage and death, study finds

Two viruses closely related to Zika – West Nile and Powassan – can spread from an infected pregnant mouse to her fetuses, causing brain damage and fetal death, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

31 Jan 2018

New paper-based test can diagnose Zika infection within 20 minutes

MIT researchers have developed a paper-based test that can diagnose Zika infection within 20 minutes. Unlike existing tests, the new diagnostic does not cross-react with Dengue virus, a close relative of the Zika virus that can produce false positives on many Zika tests.

27 Sep 2017

Few tips to remove a tick and prevent future bites

As tick populations grow and spread across the country, their prevalence is increasing the public's risk for some troubling diseases. Of these diseases, say dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Powassan virus and alpha-gal syndrome- a mysterious red meat allergy- are among the most serious.

19 Sep 2017

NIH scientists develop laboratory model to study tickborne flaviviruses

National Institutes of Health scientists have filled a research gap by developing a laboratory model to study ticks that transmit flaviviruses, such as Powassan virus. Powassan virus was implicated in the death of a New York man earlier this year.

22 Aug 2017

Preventative measures can help minimize rising threat of tick-borne illnesses

Healthcare providers and researchers agree: this will be a bad year for ticks and we need use preventative measures to minimize the threat of tick-borne illnesses.

27 May 2017

Review highlights emerging public health threat of Powassan virus infection in North America

Cases of human infection with Powassan virus (POWV), which can cause fatal neuroinvasive disease and long-term neurological effects, appear to be increasing in the United States. POWV is transmitted by Ixodes tick species found in North America.

23 May 2017

New test identifies increased prevalence of tick-borne pathogen in Suffolk County

Scientists at the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health report elevated levels of a pathogen responsible for the tick-borne disease babesiosis in Suffolk County, New York, where rates are the highest in the state. Results are published in the journal mSphere.

20 Apr 2017

Tick genome study sheds light on occurrences of Lyme disease

After a decade-long research effort the genome of the deer tick has been sequenced by an international team of scientists, including researchers from the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics.

12 Feb 2016

Flaviviruses immune system defenses in different ways depending on whether they are transmitted by mosquitoes or ticks

"Flaviviruses exact an enormous toll in terms of illness and death worldwide," notes NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. "Because this is a relatively new field of study, everything we learn about how these viruses operate is significant.

28 Sep 2005