U.S. Powassan Cases Jump to 76 in 2025 as Tick Season Lengthens
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 28
U.S. Powassan Cases Jump to 76 in 2025 as Tick Season Lengthens
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 28
Summary
CDC data show reported U.S. Powassan virus cases climbed to 76 in 2025 from 7 in 2015, drawing attention to a rare but increasingly detected tick-borne disease.
15 minutes may be enough for an infected deer tick to transmit the virus, experts said, far faster than Lyme disease and helping explain why prevention hinges on avoiding bites altogether.
15% of symptomatic cases can be fatal, and about half of survivors have lasting neurological problems after the virus can trigger encephalitis or meningitis; no vaccine or specific treatment exists.
Warmer temperatures and milder winters are extending tick activity into March through November and boosting deer and rodent hosts, while better surveillance may also be lifting reported case counts.