A tick virus now surging in New England can be traced back to an Ontario 4-year-old's death in 1958

A little-known tick-borne virus is appearing far more often in the northeastern United States than it once did. 

Researchers first connected it to a 1958 case in which a 4-year-old boy on a farm near Powassan, Ontario, developed severe neurological symptoms and died within days.

What happened?

Decades later, a disease once considered obscure is being identified more often. As the Boston Globe reported, Powassan is now being spread by blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, which are much more likely to bite humans than the tick species first linked to the virus. 

The Globe said 76 Americans were diagnosed in 2025, a record annual count, though the true total is probably higher because the virus is difficult to diagnose. 

Most cases have been identified in New England and the Upper Midwest, and many are neuroinvasive, meaning they affect the brain and nervous system. About 10% to 15% of symptomatic cases end in death. 

Dennis Peck, a 71-year-old New Hampshire man described as healthy and diligent about tick checks, died in 2025 after spending 10 weeks in the hospital. The virus now known as Powassan was first traced to 4-year-old Lincoln Byers, whose fatal illness baffled doctors until researchers later found a matching virus in a tick collected near his family's farm.

Why does it matter?

The increase in Powassan virus is part of a broader rise in tick-borne illnesses that is altering daily life in parts of the United States, especially in New England, where Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and alpha-gal syndrome have also been increasing. 

Researchers interviewed by the Globe connected the broader tick surge to several factors, including growing deer populations, suburban development, and warmer winters that help ticks and their animal hosts persist and remain active longer each year. 

Powassan is still uncommon, but it can be severe, fast-moving, and difficult to identify; the Globe reported that blacklegged ticks may transmit the virus in under 15 minutes, and doctors do not always recognize it right away. 

Kelsey Neri's daughter, Cali, survived Powassan after falling into a coma in 2022, but she continues to live with major medical complications, including a seizure disorder.

What can I do?

Experts have said the best protection is still personal prevention.

Thomas Mather, an entomologist at the University of Rhode Island known as "The Tick Guy," recommended learning how to identify ticks, performing full-body tick checks, and promptly removing attached ticks with tweezers.

The Globe reported several practical steps families are already taking, including wearing permethrin-treated clothing and shoes, showering after spending time outdoors, and staying alert even in spring and fall, when milder weather can keep ticks active.

States are trying a range of responses, including deer-management efforts. The Globe reported that Pfizer and Valneva said in March their Lyme disease vaccine candidate had finished phase 3 clinical trials.

Still, experts say there is no simple fix. Powassan remains hard to diagnose, and broader solutions to the tick problem — including deer control — remain complicated and incomplete.

"I could never wish that upon any family," Lincoln's sister, Sue Cossar, said of her brother's death, according to the Globe. 

As Neri put it: "I never, ever want to scare somebody from going outside. I just want you to use the right tick-prevention methods."

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