Powassan Virus Is the Scary New Reason to Avoid Ticks quoting : TIME

Powassan virus was first identified in 1958 and was first recognized in deer ticks, the type that bite humans and also carry Lyme disease, in the mid-1990s. What is Powassan virus? In animal studies, Powassan virus could be passed from tick to host after only about 15 minutes of attachment. Should you be worried about Powassan virus? Tokarz's own research , mostly on ticks in regions around New York City, has shown that only about 1% to 2% of ticks are infected with bacteria that cause the Powassan virus.




Stories worth talking about tonight featured from across the Long Island Patch network:Tick-Borne Virus Worse Than Lyme Disease: New York Has 2nd Highest Number Of CasesA rare, potentially deadly tick-borne virus has impacted New York — and it's worse than Lyme. Other top posts:Patch PM facebook/" target="_blank">shares some of the day's must-read items from our Long Island network. Senate Passes Legislation Targeting MS-13, Gang ViolenceThe bill calls for stricter penalties and educational programs to help reduce gang violence on Long Island and across the state. Sign up for a daily newsletter and breaking news alerts here. And spring is the season for it.

New Study Reveals Mechanism by Which HIV Virus Destroys Lung Tissue

Now, new research from Weill Cornell Medicine investigators has uncovered a mechanism that might explain why this lung damage occurs. Rather than entering and reproducing in the basal cells, the virus instead bonded to the basal cells' surface and reprogrammed them to start producing an enzyme, or protease, which can break down proteins and destroy tissues, called metalloprotease-9. In the study, published May 9 in Cell Reports, investigators show how the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, binds to stem cells, called basal cells, which transform into other types of cells that line the airways. This process reprograms the basal cells, causing them to release enzymes, known as proteases, which can destroy lung tissue and poke holes in walls of the air sacs, where oxygen is exchanged. Up to 30 percent of HIV patients who are appropriately treated with antiretroviral therapies develop the chronic lung disease emphysema in their lifetime.


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