- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Obesity May Raise Kids' Allergy Risk
- Keep Asthma, Allergies at Bay for the Holidays
- Asthmatics Who Quit Smoking May Reverse Lung Damage
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Should Your Child Be Seeing a Chiropractor?
- Health Tip: Anticipating Acupuncture
- Meditation May Boost Short-Term Visual Memory
- ANIMAL CARE
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- BONES & JOINTS
- Almost Half of Adults Will Develop Knee Osteoarthritis by 85
- Returning to the Road Tricky After Injury
- Chronic Low Back Pain Is on the Rise
- CANCER
- Yoga May Bring Calm to Breast Cancer Treatment
- Vitamin D May Lower Colon Cancer Risk
- Papaya Could Be a Cancer Fighter
- CAREGIVING
- Many Alzheimer's Caregivers Admit to Abusive Behavior
- Hospital Practices Influence Which Moms Will Breast-Feed
- Falls Are Top Cause of Injury, Death Among Elderly
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Health Tip: Are You Anemic?
- Migraines in Pregnancy Boost Vascular Risks
- Laughter Can Boost Heart Health
- COSMETIC
- The Acne Drug Accutane More Than Doubles Depression Risk
- Study Evaluates Laser Therapies for Hair Removal
- With Psoriasis, the Internet May Offer Hope
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Gummy Bears Join Cavity Fight
- Toothbrushing May Stave Off Heart Woes
- Acid Drinks Blamed for Increase in Tooth Erosion
- DIABETES
- Doctors Urged to Screen Diabetics for Sleep Apnea
- Americans Consuming More Sugary Beverages
- Out-of-Control Blood Sugar May Affect Memory
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Many Cancer Survivors Don't Adopt Healthy Lifestyle
- 5 Reasons why you could gain weight while dieting
- To Feel Better, Low-Fat Diet May Be Best
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- 1976 Italian Dioxin Release Damaged Babies' Thyroids
- Air Pollution Exposure May Slow Fetal Growth
- Genetics, Environment Shape Sexual Behavior
- EYE CARE, VISION
- High Temps Degrade Contact Lens Solution: Study
- Eye Care Checkups Tied to Insurance Status
- Eye Test Could Spot Diabetes Vision Trouble Early
- FITNESS
- Antioxidants Blunt Exercise Benefit, Study Shows
- The Juice From Beetroots May Boost Stamina
- The 3LS Wellness Program for Reversing Chronic Symptoms and Creating Lasting Health
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- New Yogurt May Ease Stomach Ulcers
- Intestinal Bacteria Trigger Immune Response
- Peppermint Oil, Fiber Can Fight Irritable Bowel
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Research Shows Genetic Activity of Antioxidants
- Have a Goal in Life? You Might Live Longer
- Kids More Apt to Smoke If Mom Did While Pregnant
- HEAD & NECK
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Magnet Therapy May Ease Hard-to-Treat Depression
- Subway Defibrillators Save Lives
- The Internet Is Becoming One-Stop Shopping for Health Help
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Heart Disease May Be Prevented By Taking Fish Oils, Study Shows
- Chinese Red Yeast Rice May Prevent Heart Attack
- Toothbrushing May Stave Off Heart Woes
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- More Medicinal Uses for Pomegranate
- Swine Flu Now Reported in All 50 States
- Older Adults May Have Some Immunity to Swine Flu
- KID'S HEALTH
- St. John's Wort Doesn't Work for ADHD
- Protect Your Kids From Swine Flu While at Camp
- Standard IQ Test May Underestimate People With Autism
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Lots of Sex May Prevent Erectile Dysfunction
- Physical Activity May Prolong Survival After Colon Cancer
- Low Iron Levels Cut Cancer Risk in Men With PAD
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Meditation May Boost College Students' Learning
- Keeping Mentally Active Seems To Keep The Brain Active
- A Simple 'Thank You' Brings Rewards to All
- PREGNANCY
- Pregnant Women Exposed To Certain Pollutants Could Lower Childs IQ
- Breast-Feeding Benefits Moms and Babies
- Prenatal Stress May Boost Baby's Asthma Risk
- SENIORS
- For a Healthier Retirement, Work a Little
- Older Adults May Have Some Immunity to Swine Flu
- Want Better Health in the New Year, Add Exercise to Your Day
Man Dies of Brain Inflammation Caused by Deer Tick Virus
By eHolistic.com Published: 05/13/2009
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) -- In what scientists say might be the first case of its kind, a new report details the story of a 62-year-old man in New York state who died last year of meningoencephalitis, apparently after being bitten by a deer tick infected with deer tick virus.
This appears to be the first reported human illness from the virus, although the organism was isolated in the brain of a person in Ontario, Canada. In this instance, there was no description of illness associated with that infection, said Norma P. Tavakoli, lead author of the paper appearing in the May 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
"Deer tick virus encephalitis [inflammation of the brain] is rare, but diagnostic testing is not routinely performed, so there could be cases out there we're actually missing," said Tavakoli, who is a research scientist with the Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health in Albany. "Certainly, during early spring to fall in areas where infected ticks have been reported, testing should be done."
"It is quite a rare virus," said Dr. Geoffrey Weinberg, a professor of pediatrics in the division of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Rochester Medical Center. "I would advise people not to be overly concerned. Ticks are less commonly infected with this than with Lyme disease and, even in Lyme, Conn., a minority of ticks are infected with Lyme disease. Also, the odds are 300-to-one that someone infected with the virus will develop encephalitis. The vast majority have no symptoms at all."
For the average outdoorsman, precautions already recommended to avoid contracting Lyme disease -- also transmitted via deer ticks -- should decrease the odds of getting the deer tick virus as well, according to the study.
"Whether or not this will become a real problem, I don't think anybody knows. Obviously, there is no treatment for the virus so, really, prevention is the only thing you can do," said Dr. Peter Welch, an infectious disease specialist with Northern Westchester Hospital in Mt. Kisco, N.Y. "We should always be cautious to do our best to not be bitten by ticks. Check for ticks when you come out of the woods or anywhere there are ticks. Wear insect repellant which contains DEET."
Wearing light-colored clothing, removing any ticks as soon as they are found and keeping pets free of ticks can also reduce the risk, Tavakoli added.
Deer tick virus is closely related to Powassan virus, which can also cause encephalitis and is also transmitted by way of the deer tick, according to background information in the study. Both are flaviviruses, a group that includes West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, dengue and yellow fever viruses, all of which are transmitted by mosquitoes.
Infection with one of these viruses sometimes causes severe illness, some combination of milder symptoms, or no illness at all. Deer ticks also transmit Lyme disease, which is now widespread in the United States.
In the New York case, a 62-year-old man from Putnam County, N.Y., arrived at a local hospital in spring of 2008 complaining of fatigue, fever, rash and muscle weakness.
Doctors first suspected West Nile virus, but analysis of tissue samples eventually came up positive for deer tick virus only.
The patient spent a good deal of time outdoors, owned horses and lived in a county with many reports of Lyme disease, indicating a large tick population. Although the man had not reported any tick bites, the time of the year was right for such an event, and many deer ticks are so small as to remain undetected.
Unfortunately, the man's condition continued to deteriorate, life support was withdrawn, and the man, who also had leukemia and therefore possibly a weakened immune system, died 17 days after he fell ill.
In general, Welch said, encephalitis cases of any sort are few, and labs are not usually able to identify the source, unless it is the herpes simplex virus.
"Since no one has been testing, we really don't know the incidence of deer tick virus, but it can't be very high, because we don't have many cases of encephalitis," he said. "What happens in the future will depend on how many ticks get infected, how easy it is to transmit to people and what percent of people infected get severe disease. It could be that people with normal immune systems are relatively resistant."
More information
Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on tick-borne encephalitis.
SOURCES: Norma P. Tavakoli, Ph.D., research scientist, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany; Geoffrey Weinberg, professor, pediatrics, division of pediatric infectious diseases, University of Rochester Medical Center, N.Y.; Peter Welch, M.D., Ph.D., infectious disease specialist, Northern Westchester Hospital, Mt. Kisco, N.Y.; May 14, 2009, New England Journal of Medicine
Last Updated: May 13, 2009
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