Post by Admin/ Traveler on Sept 28, 2017 19:23:18 GMT
I want to preface this to say that although they are saying that this is passed by Deer ticks, and is only in Maine - it's also written and appearing in the IDSA publication, so, just because you don't live in Maine, PLEASE do not assume that it's nothing to be concerned over. We know how wrong they have been about nearly all information pertaining to these diseases!!!
Fatal Deer Tick Virus Infection in Maine
Catherine E Cavanaugh Paul L Muscat Sam R Telford, III Heidi Goethert William Pendlebury Susan P Elias Rebecca Robich Margret Welch Charles B Lubelczyk Robert P Smith
Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 65, Issue 6, 15 September 2017, Pages 1043–1046
link to article
Abstract
Deer tick virus (DTV), a genetic variant (lineage II) of Powassan virus, is a rare cause of encephalitis in North America. We report a fatal case of DTV encephalitis following a documented bite from an Ixodes scapularis tick and the erythema migrans rash associated with Lyme disease.
And, that's all the information they are willing to share with us!
But for those that are interested in reading more of this article, with a bit of searching, I found another article (by different authors) that is about the same subject - showing that they have known this since 2009!!!
Norma P. Tavakoli, Ph.D., Heng Wang, M.A., Michelle Dupuis, B.Sc., Rene Hull, B.A., Gregory D. Ebel, Sc.D., Emily J. Gilmore, M.D., and Phyllis L. Faust, M.D., Ph.D.
N Engl J Med 2009; 360:2099-2107 May 14, 2009
Deer tick virus is a member of the tickborne encephalitis group of flaviviruses and is closely related to Powassan virus. Deer tick virus was first isolated from Ixodes scapularis ticks in 1997 in North America. The complete sequence of the deer tick virus has been determined. The viral genome is 10.8 kb in length and shares 84% nucleotide sequence identity and 94% amino acid sequence identity with the Powassan virus genome. The two viruses are antigenically related, and it has been suggested that they share a common origin and represent two viral lineages related to Powassan virus in North America. Ebel et al. refer to deer tick virus as Powassan virus lineage II, and in this report we use the same terminology.
Several members of the tickborne encephalitis group of flaviviruses, including tickborne encephalitis virus and Powassan virus, cause encephalitis in humans and animals, with tickborne encephalitis virus causing the most serious outbreaks. These viruses are closely related antigenically and are found predominantly in the northern hemisphere. In Europe, tickborne encephalitis occurs mainly in eastern and central regions and affects approximately 50 to 199 persons per 100,000 inhabitants annually. The seroprevalence of antibodies to Powassan virus is estimated to be 0.5 to 4.0% in areas in which the disease is endemic.
Infection with tickborne encephalitis virus can be mild or asymptomatic, or it can result in meningitis and encephalitis. Powassan virus can be pathogenic in human beings and can cause severe encephalitis with a fatality rate of up to 60% and long-term neurologic sequelae in survivors. In contrast, Central European encephalitis that is caused by tick bites typically produces mild or silent infection. Other disease-causing flaviviruses include West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, dengue virus, and yellow fever virus.8 These viruses are transmitted by mosquitoes and cause a spectrum of diseases including meningitis, encephalitis, dengue fever, and yellow fever.
Due to copyrights, I won't copy any more of this article, but you can go here to read it if you wish. There is a case report as well as other information - but it may also be a trigger for some (bad news in there!), so please do use caution!!
Fatal Case of Deer Tick Virus Encephalitis
Fatal Deer Tick Virus Infection in Maine
Catherine E Cavanaugh Paul L Muscat Sam R Telford, III Heidi Goethert William Pendlebury Susan P Elias Rebecca Robich Margret Welch Charles B Lubelczyk Robert P Smith
Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 65, Issue 6, 15 September 2017, Pages 1043–1046
link to article
Abstract
Deer tick virus (DTV), a genetic variant (lineage II) of Powassan virus, is a rare cause of encephalitis in North America. We report a fatal case of DTV encephalitis following a documented bite from an Ixodes scapularis tick and the erythema migrans rash associated with Lyme disease.
And, that's all the information they are willing to share with us!
But for those that are interested in reading more of this article, with a bit of searching, I found another article (by different authors) that is about the same subject - showing that they have known this since 2009!!!
Norma P. Tavakoli, Ph.D., Heng Wang, M.A., Michelle Dupuis, B.Sc., Rene Hull, B.A., Gregory D. Ebel, Sc.D., Emily J. Gilmore, M.D., and Phyllis L. Faust, M.D., Ph.D.
N Engl J Med 2009; 360:2099-2107 May 14, 2009
Deer tick virus is a member of the tickborne encephalitis group of flaviviruses and is closely related to Powassan virus. Deer tick virus was first isolated from Ixodes scapularis ticks in 1997 in North America. The complete sequence of the deer tick virus has been determined. The viral genome is 10.8 kb in length and shares 84% nucleotide sequence identity and 94% amino acid sequence identity with the Powassan virus genome. The two viruses are antigenically related, and it has been suggested that they share a common origin and represent two viral lineages related to Powassan virus in North America. Ebel et al. refer to deer tick virus as Powassan virus lineage II, and in this report we use the same terminology.
Several members of the tickborne encephalitis group of flaviviruses, including tickborne encephalitis virus and Powassan virus, cause encephalitis in humans and animals, with tickborne encephalitis virus causing the most serious outbreaks. These viruses are closely related antigenically and are found predominantly in the northern hemisphere. In Europe, tickborne encephalitis occurs mainly in eastern and central regions and affects approximately 50 to 199 persons per 100,000 inhabitants annually. The seroprevalence of antibodies to Powassan virus is estimated to be 0.5 to 4.0% in areas in which the disease is endemic.
Infection with tickborne encephalitis virus can be mild or asymptomatic, or it can result in meningitis and encephalitis. Powassan virus can be pathogenic in human beings and can cause severe encephalitis with a fatality rate of up to 60% and long-term neurologic sequelae in survivors. In contrast, Central European encephalitis that is caused by tick bites typically produces mild or silent infection. Other disease-causing flaviviruses include West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, dengue virus, and yellow fever virus.8 These viruses are transmitted by mosquitoes and cause a spectrum of diseases including meningitis, encephalitis, dengue fever, and yellow fever.
Due to copyrights, I won't copy any more of this article, but you can go here to read it if you wish. There is a case report as well as other information - but it may also be a trigger for some (bad news in there!), so please do use caution!!
Fatal Case of Deer Tick Virus Encephalitis