Blacklegged ticks transmit both Lyme disease and Powassan virus. Lyme disease is a common, treatable bacterial infection taking a day or more to spread. Powassan is a rare, fast-acting virus with no specific treatment and a high risk of severe illness.
While people group Lyme disease and Powassan virus as tickborne illnesses, this comparison obscures a crucial fact. They are distinct diseases, and Powassan poses a greater danger.
Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi. It's common and getting more so across Michigan. It generally requires the tick to be attached for 24 to 48 hours before it transmits, and it's treatable with antibiotics, especially when caught early. If you were to leave it untreated, it can progress to affect the joints, heart, and nervous system, but early treatment usually resolves it well. The bull’s-eye rash, when it appears, is a helpful early cue.
Unlike bacterial infections, Powassan is a viral disease residing in a tick's salivary glands. This biology allows the virus to transmit in as little as fifteen minutes. Cases are rare but rising, and the disease remains a severe threat because it lacks both an antiviral treatment and a vaccine. Care is purely supportive. And while most cases are mild, the severe ones can cause dangerous swelling of the brain with a high fatality rate and lasting neurological effects in survivors.
The reassuring part is that both come from the same blacklegged tick, so the same prevention covers both. Prompt tick removal does a lot against Lyme disease, and because Powassan can transmit so quickly, avoiding bites in the first place is the most reliable defense against it.
If you're tired of worrying about what a single tick could be carrying, Mosquito Squad of Greater Lansing can help. Mosquito Squad reduces the deer ticks behind both diseases, helping protect your family with up to 90% reduction in pest activity on a recurring 21-day cycle.
