Four Connecticut residents have tested positive for the rare Powassan virus, marking the first cases of the year, state officials said.
All four residents were hospitalized and treated; they have been released from the hospital and are recovering, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) said. Each person had reported being bitten by a tick.
Powassan virus can cause severe disease, including encephalitis, or brain infection, and meningitis, or infection of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord, federal health officials said.
Last year, officials reported six cases of the virus in Connecticut; two of the infections were fatal.
Between 2016 and 2022, officials reported 19 cases of the virus in the state.
This year’s cases include two men, both at least 60 years old who live in Middlesex County and Litchfield County, who became ill in early July. Two women, both at least 50 years old who live in Windham County and Litchfield County, fell ill in late July.
All four residents were hospitalized with a central nervous system disease, officials said.
Laboratory tests performed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Laboratory in Fort Collins, Colorado, confirmed the presence of antibodies to the virus in all patients.
“The identification of four Connecticut residents with Powassan virus-associated illness emphasizes the importance of taking actions to protect yourself from tick bites from now through the late fall,” DPH Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani said in a statement.