The family of a Massachusetts man who died after a tick bite wants everyone to take ticks seriously and, if you get bitten by one, go see a doctor.
Erin Boyce remembers the day her brother Kevin Boyce got sick after being bitten by a tick in April 2024.
Kevin Boyce’s story
“It was so horrible and ticks are so small,” she said.
Days later, he collapsed at home and was rushed to the hospital and put in intensive care at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The doctor told them he was diagnosed with Powassan virus.
The CDC says that virus symptoms can include fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, loss of coordination, and seizures. Approximately 10% of people with this severe form of the disease will die, and many survivors may have long-term health problems, according to Yale Medicine.