Powassan virus is spread to people by the bite of an infected tick. Powassan virus belongs to a group of viruses that can cause infection of the brain (encephalitis) or the membranes around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). These ticks are in our region and are also spreading to new areas of the province, sometimes travelling on birds and deer. See Public Health Ontario's Lyme Disease Estimated Risk Areas Map.
Ticks are most active in spring and summer but can be found at any time of the year when the temperature is above freezing (0oC). As we experience global warming, ticks are becoming a greater concern.
Infections brought on by blacklegged tick bites, including Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan virus, can be serious. Not all blacklegged ticks carry the infectious agents that cause infections, and not everyone who is bitten by an infected tick will develop signs and symptoms of these diseases.
See the Ministry of Health’s Tick-Borne Diseases webpage for information about:
- What black legged ticks look like and where they live
- How to avoid getting a tick bite and how to remove a tick
- Tick testing
- Signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
Found a tick on you?
If you find a tick on you or someone else, place it in a container and get it identified on eTick.ca, or bring it to the Health Unit in a container by December 31, 2024, and it will be sent to a laboratory for testing. If you find a tick on your pet, call your veterinary clinic. Laboratory testing is for surveillance purposes only and is not intended to replace clinical guidance.
Visit your healthcare provider as soon as possible if you are not comfortable with removing a tick, you cannot remove the tick because it has buried itself deep into your skin, or if you have concerns after being bitten by a tick, aren’t feeling well, or have any symptoms.
Contact our Environmental Health program for more information on tick testing. They can be reached at 705-474-1400 or toll-free at 1-800-563-2808, ext. 5400. The tick will be sent to a laboratory for testing.
Submit a photo of your tick and find out its species within 48 hours on eTick.ca.
Local Information
2023 Statistics
Incidence rate is the number of new cases of disease divided by the number of persons at risk for the disease during a particular time period.
Cases:
0*
*Indicates confirmed cases in 2023.
Incidence rate per 100,000 in 2023: 0
Incidence rate per 100,000 of Powassan virus by year
Data Sources |
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More Information about Powassan Virus |
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Reporting |
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Report to the Health Unit by next business day by phone at 705-474-1400 or toll free at 1-800-563-2808, ext. 5229 if Powassan virus is suspected or confirmed as per Ontario Regulation 135/18 and amendments under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O., c.H.7. |
Should one go to childcare, school, or work if they have Powassan virus? |
| No exclusion necessary unless too ill to participate in regular activities. Person to person transmission has not been documented. |
Healthcare Provider Information |
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Public Health Ontario: Powassan Virus Public Health Ontario: Arthropods (e.g., Mites, Lice, Fleas, Maggots, and Ticks) - Microscopy U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention: Powassan Virus - HCPs |
Contact our Communicable Disease Control (CDC) program at 705-474-1400 or toll free at 1-800-563-2808, ext. 5229, or by email to cdc@healthunit.ca for more information.
Last updated: June 2024, by CDC