Maine confirms fourth Powassan virus case of 2026

In the forests and fields of Maine, where summer lingers and ticks move unseen through tall grass, public health officials have confirmed a fourth case of Powassan virus in 2026 — a rare tick-borne illness capable of inflaming the brain and leaving lasting neurological harm. The clustering of four cases within a single year marks a quiet but significant departure from the disease's historically sparse footprint in the state, prompting epidemiologists and health authorities to look more closely at what the season is revealing. Whether this accumulation reflects a true rise in viral circulation,