New Cases Of Mosquito And Tick-Borne Illnesses Reported In NH

NEW HAMPSHIRE — New Hampshire's Department of Health has announced the state's first human case of Jamestown Canyon Virus and two new cases of Powassan Virus—potentially fatal illnesses that can be contracted from mosquitos and ticks, respectively.

The Jamestown Canyon Virus infection was detected in an adult from Hillsborough County, health officials said in a news release Monday.

One of the cases of Powassan Virus—which is transmitted by the blacklegged tick—was reported in an adult in Rockingham County and the other in a child from Carroll County, according to officials.

New Hampshire has reported a total of 13 human cases of Jamestown Canyon Virus since 2018, officials said. Eight human cases of Powassan Virus have been confirmed since the first person in New Hampshire tested positive for the disease in 2013.

And the potential for more cases being reported this year cannot be ruled out, officials said.

"Mosquitoes will be with us until the first hard frost, and ticks remain active as long as there is no snow cover and temperatures remain above freezing," Ryan Tannian, Chief of the DPHS Bureau of Infectious Disease Control, said in Monday's news release. "Preventing the bites that cause illnesses transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks is a key factor in reducing the risk for illness."

Symptoms of Jamestown Canyon Virus can include flu-like illness, fever, muscle aches, headaches, and fatigue, though the disease can progress to more serious diseases like meningitis or encephalitis, officials said.

Powassan Virus, which can be transmitted by a tick that is attached to a person for just 15 minutes, can cause symptoms including fever, muscle aches, headaches, and fatigue. Like the Jamestown Canyon Virus, Powassan Virus can cause serious central nervous system disease, including meningitis or encephalitis can occur.

There are no vaccines or anti-virus medications to treat either infection, so prevention is key, according to officials.

Some of the most effective ways to prevent mosquito and tick bites is to become aware of and eliminate areas where mosquitos and ticks most frequently linger and breed—like bodies of standing water and vegetation, respectively—and wear protective clothing and insect repellant, according to the NH Department of Health and Human Services.