A Marylander has died from a rare, tick-borne virus contracted while traveling in Canada.
The Maryland Department of Health confirmed an unnamed individual with Powassan virus passed away after returning to the state from abroad.
The virus is spread by the bite of an infected tick.
It marks the first ever travel-related death from the illness in the state, the department said.
“We are very saddened to report the first death due to the Powassan virus in our state,” Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman said in the release. “Powassan is very rare, and this is the first-ever case recorded in Maryland. The individual contracted the virus in Canada and returned to Maryland afterward.”
Kalyanaraman said there was no risk of local transmission but encouraged residents “to practice good habits when in areas that could have ticks or avoid those areas altogether.”
Powassan cannot be treated with antibiotics and often becomes a serious illness.
While rarer, the number of reported cases has increased, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It often presents without any symptoms but can cause fever, headache, vomiting, loss of coordination and memory as well as speech problems. It can also cause inflammation to the brain and around the spine.
Last year, 44 cases resulting in seven deaths were reported, according to the CDC. It is most common in the northeast and Great Lakes regions from late spring to fall.
A person in Ulster County, N.Y., died from the virus in August.
Marylander dies after contracting rare tick-borne virus in Canada
