Powassan virus isn't nearly as widespread as Lyme disease - yet when it infects someone, it can be far more dangerous.
Cases of a dangerous tick-borne disease called the Powassan virus remain rare in New Jersey, with just three cases reported since 2013.
Those three cases were logged in Warren and Sussex counties, according to the N.J. Department of Health. The last reported case took place in 2015.
Powassan was in the spotlight recently when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention detailed the case of a 5-month-old Connecticut infant who got the infection last fall. The boy recovered fully, but not before he had been hospitalized for fever, vomiting and seizures that included facial twitching.
It was Connecticut's first documented case of Powassan. In New Jersey's first case, in 2013, a 51-year-old Warren County woman of died encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, after several days of hospitalization. A lab evaluation later concluded her death was due to Powassan.
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Nationally, cases of the virus have more than doubled - but from only six cases in 2015 to 17 cases in 2016. Unknown, however, is whether that reflects a spread of the virus within the local tick population, or simply increased testing by doctors, the CDC said. New Jersey reported no cases last year.
(U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)The virus is carried by the same tick that transmits Lyme disease, but can be more dangerous. It is also carried by a second kind of tick, the woodchuck tick. In some instances it causes meningitis or encephalitis - dangerous conditions that can be fatal.
It proves to be fatal about 10 percent of the time. Of those who survive, half retain some kind of permanent neurological symptoms, including headaches and memory problems.
Symptoms range from a fever to severe neurological disease, and can include seizures, headaches, vomiting, confusion, speech difficulties and loss of coordination. There is no known cure for Powasson, named for the place where it was first identified in 1958 in Powassan, Ontario. Nor is there any vaccine.
The N.J. Department of Health recommends vigilance against tick bites, including using insect repellent, staying on the trail when hiking, and surveying clothing for ticks after outdoor activity.
Kathleen O'Brien may be reached at kobrien@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @OBrienLedger. Find NJ.com on Facebook.