Little-known tick bite disease leaves man nonverbal what to know about the rising threat

A New Hampshire man is battling a serious tick-borne virus that has left him in critical condition.According to friends and family, John Reagan, 66, is nonverbal after he was bitten by a tick while walking his dog.He was hospitalized in Boston, where his condition deteriorated quickly after he was admitted.“When he first went into the emergency room, he was sitting up and talking to me, and I was there with his wife,” Regan’s longtime friend Tom Wright told CBS News.“And the next day, we went to see him, and he was like nonverbal, and his muscles wouldn’t move right.”Testing confirmed that Regan had contracted the Powassan virus.“Most of the people I’ve talked to have never even heard the word before,” Wright said.Indeed, Powassan is less common than other tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease, but its effects are devastating, and cases are increasing.

Emergency room visits for tick bites jumped more than 25% nationwide in April compared to the same time last year, according to CDC data.Last year, the CDC reported seven cases of Powassan, while a record-busting 39 cases were reported in 2019.Wright and other friends of Reagan are fundraising to help support his recovery and to raise awareness about the dangers of Powassan.

In a bit of good news, Regan reportedly opened his eyes earlier this week and is now breathing without assistance.Powassan belongs to a group of viruses that can cause infection of the brain or the membranes around the brain and spinal cord, and is typically spread to humans after they’re bitten by an infected woodchuck or deer tick.Those who live or work near brushy or woody areas, or are avid outdoorsmen like Regan, are more likely to be exposed to potentially infected ticks.Powassan is particularly worrisome because of the ease with which the illness spreads: A tick attached to a human needs 36 to 48 hours to transfer Lyme disease, but it can transfer the Powassan virus in just 15 minutes.People with the Powassan virus ...