A freakishly gamey identification number of ticks in a Pennsylvania park have been found to be infected with a neuroinvasive virus that can spread to human race and cause a potentially fatal disease .

researcher at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection ( DEP ) pick up 25 tick from Lawrence Township Recreational Park near Clearfield and find that 23 of the hemipteron ( 92 percent ) were positive for Deer Tick Virus ( DTV ) .

That figure is   way high than normal . The statewide average infection rate for DTV was 0.6 percent last year . The in high spirits DTV transmission rate find antecedently happen in Pennsylvania was 11 pct and the highest contagion charge per unit ever reported in the US was approximately 25 percent .

“ The infection rate of ticks sample from the Lawrence Township Recreational Park is extremely eminent , Deer Tick Virus transfers very rapidly through the bite from an infected ticking , and the wellness final result from the Deer Tick Virus are more severe than other check mark - borne illnesses typically seen in Pennsylvania , ” Patrick McDonnell , DEP Secretary , state in astatement .

“ This determination is concerning , and we powerfully urge the populace to exercise caution and take prophylactic measures to slim down risk of exposure of tick bite and potential infection while DEP keep on to address the situation , ”   McDonnell continued .

DTV is a type of Powassan virus that can be transmitted from ticking to man in as little as 15 second after a bite occurs .   As the name indicate , the ticks ( Ixodes scapularis ) are prostrate to feeding on the blood of deer live on in northeastern states and the Great Lakes area . It ’s the same species of tick that ’s alsothe independent vectorof Lyme disease in North America .

Some infection are asymptomatic , intend the disease most often give out undetected , but hoi polloi often ab initio present with symptoms including fever , headache , vomit , and helplessness . It can also lead to severe disease , including infections of the brain or the membranes that surround the brainpower ( meningitis ) , direct to confusedness , departure of coordination , difficulty speaking , and seizures .

According to theCDC , approximately 1 out of 10 masses with the severe disease die , while around half of those who survive continue to suffer from recurring headaches , loss of sinew mass , and retention problems .

Prevention is key to tackling the disease since thereareno vaccinesto prevent or medication to do by Powassan viruses . The DEP is ask the great unwashed inPennsylvania to take charge when drop time outdoors . If you ’re hiking in the bang-up outdoors , baffle to the center of attention of trails and avoid wooded and bosky region with flora and dope that may nurse ticks . It ’s also advisable to spray yourself with tick repellent before you head out and insert your shirt into trouser , and gasp into socks . When you get home base , jump in the shower and put your clothes into the dryer on in high spirits heating system .

abide safe , do n’t allow the deer ticks bite .