Work

Powassan Meningoencephalitis: A Case Report Highlighting Diagnosis and Management

Year: 2021

Type: article

Abstract: Powassan virus (POWV), a rare flavivirus that may be transmitted by a tick bite, causes rare but severe cases of encephalitis, meningitis, and meningoencephalitis in humans. We present the case of a 62-year-old man with prior Lyme disease and reactive arthritis who presented to the hospital with symptoms of fever, headache, and fatigue. The patient developed rapid deterioration of mental status including profound expressive aphasia and required intubation and high-dose steroids. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) serologies were found to be positive for the POWV.

Source: Cureus

DOI: 10.7759/cureus.16592

Authors: Jolanta J Pach, Adeel S Zubair, Christopher Traner, Guido J Falcone, Jeffrey J Dewey

Institution: Yale University

Language: English

Topic: Mosquito-borne diseases and control

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences