Young camper diagnosed with life-threatening Powassan virus during northern Ont. trip
A nine-year-old boy contracted an often-deadly disease during a in northern Ontario camping trip in July.
The Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) detailed the boy's battle with the Powassan virus, which officials believe he contracted from a tick bite.
Thankfully, he recovered despite becoming severely ill. The CMA said it was publishing the story in hopes of raising awareness of the virus to help speed up the diagnosis of patients in the future. Information on where the boy was camping and where he is from was not included in the story.
Powassan is a tick-borne flavivirus first discovered in 1958 in Powassan, Ont., after being isolated from the brain tissue of a child who died from the virus.
"Increased awareness of Powassan virus among clinicians in Canada will likely lead to increased identification of Powassan virus and other arthropod-borne infections, which should always be reported," the CMAJ story said.
The youngster was hospitalized in July after suffering from severe neck stiffness, fever and a headache for about one day.
"Symptoms began one week after he attended a summer camping trip in northern Ontario," the story in the CMA Journal reported.
"On arrival at the hospital, the patient was febrile (feverish) and appeared unwell, though he was hemodynamically stable and the neurologic exam was normal at the time."
The Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain of the nine-year-old boy who contracted the Powassan virus during a northern Ontario camping trip in July. (Photo courtesy of the Canadian Medical Association Journal)
He had no rashes and doctors suspected that he was suffering from meningitis. That was eventually ruled out through testing, along with several other possible conditions.
"The patient remained persistently febrile with ongoing severe headache," the story said.
"On the third day of hospital admission, the patient was transferred to our tertiary care hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit, because his level of consciousness was deteriorating."
At that point, he couldn't speak or respond to verbal commands and appeared to be in a coma. An MRI showed slowing brain activity, but no evidence of a brain seizure.
Brain swelling
More conditions – including Lyme disease – were ruled out. Samples were sent to Public Health Ontario, but results didn't come back before he recovered enough to leave hospital.
He was given antibiotics to address brain swelling, "with notable improvement in his level of consciousness within 24–48 hours," the story said.
"We discontinued antibiotics after a total of five days once bacterial cultures were found to be negative. The patient was subsequently transferred to the inpatient pediatric ward for 10 days for rehabilitation related to a persistent left-sided weakness."
Two months after he was discharged, "he had full neurologic recovery," the story said.
"After discharge, Public Health Ontario notified us that serum antibodies to Powassan virus were detected."
"Transmission to humans occurs predominantly via the bite of infected ticks … which become infected after feeding on deer, groundhogs, mice, squirrels or other rodents," the CMA story said.
"Research in animal models has suggested that Powassan virus can be transmitted within 15 minutes of tick attachment."
o Download our app to get local alerts on your device
o Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
It's a rare virus, with most cases occurring from April to November.
From 2004 to 2022, the U.S. reported 288 cases of Powassan virus infection. Of those, 25 per cent occurred in children and 92 per cent of those infected had to be hospitalized.
A total of 36 – or 13 per cent – of the patients died.
"Only 21 cases have been reported in Canada since 2017, but a lack of clinical recognition, and hence testing, may result in underestimation of the incidence," the CMAJ story said.
"Most patients experience flu-like symptoms lasting a few days; however, some patients will develop neuroinvasive disease presenting with symptoms characteristic of viral encephalitis, including fever, headache and altered mental status."
About 50 per cent of people who get the virus have long-term effects, "including headaches, altered mental status, and cognitive difficulties."
Read the full CMAJ report here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Missing B.C. teenager Jodi Henrickson at centre of upcoming documentary
Henrickson was a 17-year-old girl from Squamish who went missing after a house party on Bowen Island, during the then unusually warm summer of 2009.
B.C. judge halts woman's medically assisted death
A B.C. judge took the extraordinary measure of preventing a woman's medically assisted death, issuing an 11th-hour court order to halt the procedure, according to documents filed over the weekend.
At least 63 people die in devastating flash floods in eastern Spain, officials say
At least 63 people have died in eastern Spain after flash floods swept away cars, turned village streets into rivers and disrupted rail lines and highways in the worst natural disaster to hit the European nation in recent memory.
Poilievre says it would be 'not fair' for Liberals to replace Trudeau as leader
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre thinks it would be 'not fair' for the Liberals to oust Prime Minister Justin Trudeau now, as in his view they are 'morally obligated' to keep him.
Biden suggests Trump supporters are 'garbage' after comic's insult of Puerto Rico
U.S. President Joe Biden took a swipe against Donald Trump's supporters on Tuesday as he reacted to the Republican presidential nominee's weekend rally at Madison Square Garden, which was overshadowed by crude and racist rhetoric.
An expert stands firm on his U.S. election win prediction. Here's what he says happened after
An American presidential historian is maintaining his previous prediction of a Kamala Harris presidency as the U.S. election hits the one-week mark.
Ontario to table 'ambitious' economic update, Doug Ford says
Ontario's finance minister is set to table his fall economic statement today, which the premier says is an ambitious plan to build highways, hospitals and homes.
A New Zealand city waves goodbye to its giant hand sculpture that many came to love
Quasi, perched on two fingers on the roof of an art gallery in Wellington, New Zealand, has loomed over the city for five years. Now, it will be removed from the roof of City Gallery this week.
Albertans overpaid on electricity bills for decades: report
A new report says when the province deregulated electricity generation in 2001, it forced Albertans to pay billions more for their power.