Former US Senator has tick-borne Powassan virus
Former North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan, hospitalized since December, has been diagnosed with Powassan virus.
Powassan is a tick-borne pathogen that can cause a variety of brain and nervous system symptoms, including encephalitis—brain inflammation—which is Hagan’s diagnosis. Encephalitis can result in long-term damage, affecting speech, vision, memory and muscle control.
According to the CDC website’s Powassan page:
Signs and symptoms of infection can include fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, seizures, and memory loss. Long-term neurologic problems may occur. There is no specific treatment, but people with severe POW virus illnesses often need to be hospitalized to receive respiratory support, intravenous fluids, or medications to reduce swelling in the brain.
Hagan is being treated at the Shepherd Center, in Atlanta, Georgia, which specializes in spinal cord and brain injuries. Her family says it’s likely to be a long recovery process, but she appears to be making progress.
News coverage regarding Hagan:
Although not diagnosed with Powassan in Dec 2002, I was hospitalized for almost 2 months with meningitis, encephalomylitis, paralyzed in awake coma and on respirator!!! I was in Gods hands as the doctors said to my family…It wasnt until a neurologist finally came up with a treatment with IVIG that I started to turn around and get better..
The doctors could not figure out what had caused this to me! I went home paralyzed from my waiste down for one year, had to rent hospital bed , home nurses, and Physical Therapy to learn home to walk again.
They ran every test, did seminars on me and couldnt figure it out!
It wasnt until 2015 that I ran across a post linking MS to Lyme disease that I put the pieces together and remembered back in 2003 being home recovering, and having a “Red Round Rash” (bullseye) on my arm….No doctor seen this!!!!
So , I was misdiagnosed in 2012 with Multiple Sclerosis (because of some neuro issues I was having)
After putting all of the pieces together I went to be tested for Lyme and Co Infections…and they came back positive!!! I am writing in response to this article about the senator because I think it was Powwasan that I had , for sure!!! There needs to be more awareness and education to all medical professionals and the public regarding Tick spread diseases! Lyme Disease/ powassan and co infections!!! This is an epidemic that is being denied and hidden! I have it, and daugher got it from me through birth!! and thousands upon thousands of people have it, yet It is hardly spoken about! I hope Senator Hagan is doing ok and my advise to her and her family is to stay positive and keep fighting!
Our hearts go out to you Senator Hagan and your family. Most of us have been there and are aware of the uncertainties that go with insect vector borne diseases. Pull your family close, pray for effective treatment and complete recovery. Members of ILADS are ready to provide information and help in any way they can, so reach out to this organization and we they be helpful in any way possible.
Dear Senator Kay, So sorry to hear of your major health problems. Positive attitude and one day at a time knowing you can fight this. Tick born infections has taken thousands of lives w/o help and finding doctors to treat us is a big struggle. The doctors that do comprehend Lyme or tick born pathogens don’t take ins or ins won’t pay their fees. Ins co, won’t pay for prescribe meds so again another trial for us suffering. I hope Senator gets better and millions od us.