A Saranac, New York toddler is slowly recovering from a life-threatening case of Powassan virus acquired through a tick bite in the spring of 2022. Long thought not to be present in New York’s North Country, tick borne illnesses (including Lyme disease) are becoming increasingly common.

Clinton County, where the toddler lived when she was infected with Powassan virus, also reported a second case in 2022. The two year old who is recovering was hospitalized for six months with severe brain encephalitis and is now learning to walk and talk again.