Fourth person in Maine this year tests positive for Powassan virus

MAINE PUBLIC • August 26, 2026

An individual in Penobscot County has tested positive for the Powassan virus. That's the fourth person in the state to develop the disease so far this year, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The other cases were reported in York, Lincoln, and Penobscot Counties in June. Powassan is transmitted through the bite of deer ticks, and infections can be severe, even fatal.