Minnesota health officials warned that Powassan virus risk is elevated in the lakes area as tick populations move north and tick-bite-related emergency room visits rise.
Cass and Itasca counties recorded the most reported Powassan cases from 2008 to 2022, with six to seven each, and the west side of Gull Lake is considered a prime exposure area.
14 cases in 2024 marked Minnesota's peak year, followed by eight in 2025; officials say the virus is rare, hard to diagnose and has no treatment.
About 5% of ticks statewide are thought to carry Powassan, versus roughly one in three carrying Lyme-causing bacteria, but Powassan can invade the brain and leave lasting cognitive damage.
Jeffrey Johannsen, a 69-year-old outdoorsman infected near Gull Lake, died in 2023 after encephalitis, underscoring officials' push for EPA-registered repellents, permethrin and protective clothing.