Powassan virus (POW) is a flavivirus transmitted through tick bites, first discovered in the town of Powassan, Ontario in 1958 when it was identified in a young boy. This virus is transmitted more rapidly from tick to human than Lyme disease (it can take only minutes) and more likely to be fatal. As of […]
Much speculation filled the news about Zika virus over the past year. We watched as news filtered out from Brazil and other countries about the increasing incidence of microcephaly in newborn babies from mothers who were infection with the virus. And, as fears mounted, we witnessed its arrival in the US. What is Zika? Zika […]
One of the greatest advancements in medicine came with the advent of the vaccination program. Certain diseases, such as small pox, were eradicated around the globe through aggressive vaccination programs by both the CDC and the WHO. Other diseases like Polio no longer exist in the Americas and others are in the process of being […]
Zika Virus is in the news, people are concerned about this epidemic expanding through the U.S. protectorates and threatening the continental U.S. and Hawaii. We’re at the early stages of understanding this virus and there is much misinformation and uncertainty surrounding this new global pathogenic threat. While the anxiety is wide-spread, the Center for Disease […]