'Grateful to survive': Mainer raises awareness about tickborne Powassan

Published: Jul 29, 2024 Duration: 00:02:59 Category: News & Politics
Tags : news Health local [ tick-and-lyme bangor outreach ]
Trending searches: powassan virus
It is a tick borne illness that has become increasingly common and unlike Lyme, it can be fatal and impact others with long term neurological problems. So far this year, the Maine CDC has reported three cases of Pa Lawson including one death of an 81 year old York County man. A woman from Carmel who survived the virus is sharing her story to help raise awareness and to push for early detection. News center remains. Vivian Leigh has more. In 2018, Megan Summers was working as a licensed veterinary technician in Portland when she contracted what she thought was the flu. However, her symptoms drastically changed severe migraines that I had never had before where I would lose vision. She also had severe muscle spasms, numbness and profound fatigue and partial seizures. She went from doctor to doctor with no answers. A blood test was negative for Lyme. Later, she was diagnosed with anxiety and fibromyalgia. Three years later, she hit rock bottom. I was essentially bedridden. I couldn't. She found a naturopathic doctor who ran a full blood panel for tick borne diseases. The panel came back positive for Lyme and the Poo and virus megas health began to improve after rounds of antibiotics, antiparasitic medication, herbal remedies and diet changes. According to the CDC, some patients don't experience any symptoms while others have a mild course of the illness. In some cases, people can experience life threatening complications that affect the brain or nervous system. One in 10 cases is fatal if you have inflammation in your nervous system that can spread to every other organ system in your body. Doctor Scott Melton specializes in infectious diseases at northern light infectious disease care. He says there is no cure for the polo virus. Although doctors may symptoms of the illness, symptoms like the fevers, the chills, you know, that aren't responding to typical treatments. Um, you know, the lumbar puncture, you know, getting the spinal fluid can't help us with the diagnosis. Dr Melton advises avoiding deer or woodchuck ticks, carrying the poo and virus can put you less at risk. As for Megan, she is working on getting a nutrition certification with the hopes of helping others with tick borne illness. I'm lucky and I am very grateful that I survived the infection. She hopes by speaking out will help other patients struggling to get a diagnosis and keep Haasan on the radar of more providers. The more recognition it gets, the more likely it's going to be caught early in a lot of patients and a better chance to prevent a potentially deadly infection early in bag gore. Vivian Lee New Center, Maine

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