WASHINGTON — In addition to cherry blossom season and baseball season, it’s also the start of tick season.
They are most active between April and September, so this is a good time to read up on a disease you can get from ticks that you probably haven’t heard of.
Only about 60 cases of Powassan virus disease have been reported in the U.S. since 2004, and most have been in the Northeast and Great Lakes.
In our region, there’s only been a single case in Virginia.
But there is no known treatment, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says although the disease is rare, it can be serious.
Symptoms can include swelling of the brain, fever, seizures and vomiting, and some people who get it need to be hospitalized.
The CDC says you can reduce your chances of a tick bite by avoiding wooded or bushy areas, using bug repellent and checking your body for ticks when you come in from outdoors.
