With summer, fast-approaching, it is time to be aware of ticks and the diseases they spread. Of special concern this year is a tick-borne illness known as Powassan. Creighton University biologist Dr. Theodore Burk says within the last 10 years, since the virus was discovered in the United States, a total of 75 cases of Powassan have been confirmed in the Northeast and upper Midwest, including Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin……..

The Powassan virus differs from the more well-known Lyme Disease, which is actually a bacterial infection. Both diseases are spread by the same ticks, known as the Deer Tick. Burk says the infection can be hard to diagnose…..

Those ticks are not prevalent in Nebraska, where the most commonly encountered tick is the Dog tick. The deer tick is commonly found in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions.