The article below appeared in the Washington Post. It describes the Powassan virus, named after the town in Ontario where it was discovered in 1958. Although disease from the virus is rare, cases have been increasing in recent years. The CDC reported seven cases in the United States in 2015; ten years later in 2025, there were 76 cases, primarily in the Northeast and Upper Midwest. The deer tick (blacklegged tick) most commonly transmits the virus to humans. Groundhog ticks and squirrel ticks are also known to spread it. The virus can transmit from tick to human within as little as 15 minutes of attachment. Recent cases of Powassan virus disease in New Jersey and New Hampshire have made national headlines because of the potential severity of symptoms, which can include neurological problems such as memory loss, difficulty speaking and seizures.