Get this-- If you are bitten by a tick with Powassan virus, it only takes ~15 minutes to transmit the virus. There are no/rarely any acute signs of illness. So up to three weeks later, allovasudden, you get hella sick. And you have no friggen idea why, because you were bitten by the tick weeks ago, and you probably totally forgot about it. And what is hella sick, exactly? Encephalitis. 10-15% of people die from it. ~50%, even if they survive, have permanent neurological problems. There is no vaccine. There is no treatment. You just either die, and even if you live, the odds are pretty good that you will have life-long problems.
