A Massachusetts newborn spent several weeks in the hospital after being diagnosed with a rare tick-borne illness.
What’s happening?
Boston’s WBZ News reported in early August that the five-week-old baby was diagnosed with Powassan virus, a rare disease spread by deer ticks.
The infant’s family believes a tick may have bitten their daughter while on a family walk in their hometown of West Tisbury on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. The baby was hospitalized with a high fever and then began experiencing seizures.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, other common symptoms of the virus include headaches and vomiting. Powassan virus can cause inflammation of the brain and the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord…