By Tiffany Williams –
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island health officials are sounding the alarm about tick safety after confirming the state’s second case of Powassan virus disease this year, a rare but potentially serious tick-borne illness for which there is no vaccine or treatment.
The Rhode Island Department of Health said the latest case involves a Newport County man in his 70s who began experiencing symptoms in late July. It marks Rhode Island’s 10th reported Powassan case since the disease was first reported in the state in 2016.
The confirmation comes as health officials urge residents not to underestimate the threat posed by ticks, particularly while spending time in wooded, brushy or grassy areas.
“We all need to be thinking about tick prevention measures when outdoors,” said Director of Health Jerry Larkin, MD. “Repel and reduce your exposure to ticks, check your body for ticks, and be sure to remove ticks if you find one on yourself, a family member, or a pet. Ticks are tiny. You may not be able to feel them or spot them right away. The sooner you find and remove them, the better your chances are at preventing the serious health issues caused by illnesses like Powassan and Lyme Disease.”
Powassan remains rare, but the numbers have been moving in the wrong direction. More than 397 cases were reported nationwide between 2016 and 2025, according to information released by RIDOH.
The United States recorded 76 cases in 2025, the highest annual total reported. New England accounted for 27 of those cases, including 12 in Massachusetts, six in Maine, five in Connecticut and four in New Hampshire.
Powassan is primarily found in the Northeast and Great Lakes region of the United States and eastern Canada.
The illness can begin with symptoms including fever, headache, vomiting and generalized weakness. It can then progress to meningoencephalitis, with potentially severe neurological symptoms including altered mental status, seizures, difficulty understanding or speaking, muscular weakness or paralysis, movement disorders and cranial nerve palsies.
People who develop severe Powassan disease often require hospitalization. There is no vaccine and no specific treatment for the disease, making prevention a critical defense against infection.
RIDOH is emphasizing three basic steps for protecting against ticks: repel, check and remove.
Residents can reduce exposure by avoiding wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaves when possible and walking through the center of trails instead of along overgrown edges. Long pants and long-sleeve shirts can provide additional protection, and pants can be tucked into socks to make it more difficult for ticks to crawl underneath clothing.
RIDOH also recommends EPA-approved bug spray containing 20% to 30% DEET and wearing light-colored clothing that can make ticks easier to spot. Products containing DEET should not be used on infants younger than two months, and repellents used on children should contain no more than 30% DEET.
The precautions should not end when people come back inside.
Anyone returning from grassy or wooded areas should shower and conduct a full-body tick check. Parents should carefully check children, particularly around the ears, belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist and in the hair.
Pets need attention, too. Animals can pick up ticks outdoors and carry them into the home.
If a tick is discovered, RIDOH recommends using tweezers, grasping the tick as close to the skin as possible and pulling straight upward. If tweezers are unavailable, the tick can be removed using fingers protected with a tissue or rubber gloves.
With Rhode Island now recording its second Powassan case of 2026, the warning from state health officials is straightforward: the threat may be tiny enough to miss with the naked eye, but the consequences of a tick-borne infection can be anything but small.