A 66-year-old man in New Hampshire has been hospitalized for weeks after contracting Powassan virus, a rare but serious tick-borne illness. His case underscores how quickly a tick bite can turn dangerous—while CDC guidance focuses on prevention, tick checks, a
For weeks, a 66-year-old man in New Hampshire has been fighting for more intensive care after a tick bite left him with Powassan virus, a rare tick-borne illness that can become life-threatening.
After feeling worn down from the bite, the man was admitted to Concord Hospital for about two weeks, according to sources close to the patient. He was then transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital for more intensive care, the sources said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also pointed to a broader warning: emergency rooms nationwide have seen a rise in tick bite cases in 2025. hitting the highest levels since 2017. That backdrop makes the case in New Hampshire feel especially urgent—ticks are not just a seasonal nuisance when infections land at hospital doors.
Powassan virus spreads through tick bites from infected ticks. The CDC says the virus is rare. but the number of reported cases of people sick from Powassan virus has increased in recent years. The virus does not spread through coughing, sneezing, or touching, according to the CDC. In rare cases, it has spread person-to-person through a blood transfusion.
In the United States, most Powassan virus cases are found in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions, occurring from late spring through mid-fall, when ticks are most active.
The virus is named for Powassan, Ontario, Canada, where it was first discovered in 1958, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
When symptoms begin, they can be easy to mistake for something less urgent. The CDC says initial symptoms can include fever, headache, vomiting, and weakness. In some cases. Powassan virus can cause severe disease. including encephalitis—an infection of the brain—or meningitis—infection of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord.
Severe illness can bring dangerous neurological signs. The CDC says a person with severe disease can experience confusion, loss of coordination, difficulty speaking, and seizures. Roughly one in 10 people with severe disease die.
For survivors, the aftermath can be long. Approximately half the people with severe disease can have long-term health problems, including recurring headaches, loss of muscle mass and strength, and memory problems.
There are no vaccines to prevent Powassan virus and no medicines to treat the disease, the CDC says. That leaves prevention as the primary defense.
The CDC recommends avoiding ticks to reduce the risk of infection. Ticks are often found in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas and can also live on animals. They can be found in yards or neighborhoods, the agency says.
To reduce contact, the CDC advises avoiding wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter, and walking in the center of trails. People should treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin, and use Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellents.
After time outdoors, the CDC stresses routine checks rather than hope. People should check their clothing for ticks and remove any that are found. The agency notes you can kill ticks by tumble drying clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes. If clothes need washing, use hot water first.
The CDC also recommends a full body check after coming in from outdoors, including these areas: under the arms; in and around the ears; inside the belly button; back of the knees; in and around the hair; between the legs; and around the waist.
The sequence of facts—from rising tick bite emergency room visits in 2025 to the clinical escalation seen in this New Hampshire patient—points to one reality that hospitals see firsthand. The bite may be small, but the consequences can be severe, and time matters once symptoms take hold.
Powassan virus tick-borne illness tick bite CDC Concord Hospital Massachusetts General Hospital meningitis encephalitis permethrin insect repellent
Ticks are basically mini vampires now, wow.
So they got a tick bite and then boom, hospitalized for weeks? I feel like we’ve known about this forever but nobody does anything. If ERs are seeing more cases in 2025, why isn’t everyone talking about it more?
Isn’t this like… the one that spreads from touching the bite site? My cousin said you can catch it from just being near someone with symptoms, like coughing. Also why did they transfer him to Massachusetts if it’s “rare”? Seems sketchy.
Powassan virus sounds made up, like who even names this stuff. But the article says it can become life threatening even if it’s from a tick bite, and that it’s not from coughing which is good i guess. Still, if a tick check matters, why do people always act surprised when they get bit in the fall? I’m in NH too and I swear every year people pretend it’s not happening until someone ends up at the hospital.