Powassan virus in Ixodes cookei and Mustelidae in New England.

Abstract

Powassan virus was recovered from a pool of 3 nymphal and 1 adult female Ixodes cookei removed from a striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) trapped in Massachusetts during 1967 and from a pool of 9 nymphal I. cookei from a long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata) captured in Connecticut during 1978. Virus was detected in the blood of both mammals. Hemagglutination-inhibiting (HI) antibody to Powassan virus was demonstrated in 16.0% of the skunks sampled in Connecticut, and neutralizing antibody was detected in 83.3% of the skunks tested from Massachusetts. HI antibody was found in 1 of 6 long-tailed weasels from Connecticut and 1 of 6 short-tailed weasels (Mustela erminea) from Maine.