What does this research mean for the field?

Powassan virus is an escalating One Health threat in the United States driven by expanding tick ranges, land-use, and climate change, necessitating urgently enhanced cross-sector surveillance and public health reporting. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.SYNTHESIS. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the ecological drivers, transmission dynamics, clinical spectrum, and public health reporting gaps of Powassan virus in the United States using a One Health approach.

September 3, 2026Infectious Disease ReportsOpen Access

Powassan Virus in the United States: An AI-Integrative One Health Scoping Review of Ecological Drivers, Zoonotic Interactions, Symptom Profiles, and Public Health Implications

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Authors

SMSarah P. Maxwell CMConnie L. McNeely JHJames R. Harrington

Discussion

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Overview

Scoping review uncovers rising Powassan virus neuroinvasive disease and rapid transmission across the United States, highlighting an urgent need for coordinated cross-sector surveillance.

Key Points

To evaluate the ecological drivers, transmission dynamics, clinical spectrum, and public health reporting gaps of Powassan virus in the United States using a One Health approach.
Conducted a scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines across PubMed/MEDLINE, CDC surveillance databases, state health department records, and public health archives through early 2026.
Integrated literature searches with the GIDEON database and Claude (Anthropic) to synthesize over 200 peer-reviewed and human-curated archival sources.
Annual reported U.S. cases grew from fewer than two before 2005 to a record 60 in 2024, with neuroinvasive disease exhibiting a 10% to 15% case fatality rate and lasting neurological sequelae in approximately 50% of survivors.
The virus features a transmission window as brief as 15 minutes, lacks a characteristic rash, displays complete antibiotic resistance, and disproportionately impacts older males in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions.
Public health surveillance is fragmented, with only seven of 48 surveyed states actively publishing Powassan virus tracking data.

Cite This Study

Maxwell et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9935e5636c6408cfa7e80a https://doi.org/10.3390/idr18050096

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September 3, 2026Infectious Disease ReportsOpen Access

Powassan Virus in the United States: An AI-Integrative One Health Scoping Review of Ecological Drivers, Zoonotic Interactions, Symptom Profiles, and Public Health Implications

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

SMSarah P. Maxwell CMConnie L. McNeely JHJames R. Harrington

Discussion

Member takes

Overview

Scoping review uncovers rising Powassan virus neuroinvasive disease and rapid transmission across the United States, highlighting an urgent need for coordinated cross-sector surveillance.

Key Points

To evaluate the ecological drivers, transmission dynamics, clinical spectrum, and public health reporting gaps of Powassan virus in the United States using a One Health approach.
Conducted a scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines across PubMed/MEDLINE, CDC surveillance databases, state health department records, and public health archives through early 2026.
Integrated literature searches with the GIDEON database and Claude (Anthropic) to synthesize over 200 peer-reviewed and human-curated archival sources.
Annual reported U.S. cases grew from fewer than two before 2005 to a record 60 in 2024, with neuroinvasive disease exhibiting a 10% to 15% case fatality rate and lasting neurological sequelae in approximately 50% of survivors.
The virus features a transmission window as brief as 15 minutes, lacks a characteristic rash, displays complete antibiotic resistance, and disproportionately impacts older males in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions.
Public health surveillance is fragmented, with only seven of 48 surveyed states actively publishing Powassan virus tracking data.

Cite This Study

Maxwell et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9935e5636c6408cfa7e80a https://doi.org/10.3390/idr18050096

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark