Newborn Suffers Brain Damage After Contracting Rare Virus from ‘Tiny, Tiny’ Tick on Martha’s Vineyard

A newborn baby is suffering brain damage after being bitten by a tick infected with a rare — but potentially deadly — virus.

Tiffany Sisco took her daughter, Lily, now 5 weeks old, and her sister for a walk along a bike path near their home on Martha’s Vineyard. Lily was in a stroller, covered with a blanket, as shown in photos from ABC News. When they returned, Tiffany noticed “this tiny, tiny, tiny, the teeniest [tick], on her ankle,” she told WCVB Channel 5 Boston.

“I picked it off, and about a week later, she started running a fever of 102. I said, I’m taking her right in,” Tiffany said. According to a GoFundMe set up to support the family, after a visit to their local emergency room, Lily was airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston for urgent care. Her condition worsened, and she was put on antibiotics — but while awaiting test results, Lily experienced a series of seizures.

Her brain began to swell, and she struggled to breathe. Lily was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Doctors suspect the tick that bit Lily carried the Powassan virus — a rare but dangerous tick-borne illness. Health officials in Martha’s Vineyard have confirmed they are investigating the case. While Massachusetts has seen three Powassan virus cases this year, this is the first in Martha’s Vineyard in two decades, according to their statement.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control explains that Powassan virus is transmitted through infected tick bites and causes symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, and weakness. There are no vaccines or specific treatments available; care is supportive only.

The virus can lead to neurological complications like meningitis (inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord) or encephalitis (brain swelling).

Lily is now recovering and being weaned off anti-seizure medications. However, Tiffany shared her worries with WCVB about the long-term effects: “Is she going to be able to walk? Talk? Is she going to be able to do, like, the normal things that we normally wouldn’t even think about?”

Lily’s father, Marcus, told the outlet, “She’s a fighter, though. She’s a very strong kid. And we’re right there with her.”

Although tick bites in newborns are uncommon, CBS News reports that this has been an active tick season in the Northeast.

The best way to prevent Powassan virus is by avoiding tick bites: Wear long sleeves and pants, tuck pants into socks, or seal clothing openings with tape, as recommended by the National Institutes of Health. Light-colored clothing helps spot ticks more easily. Stay in the center of trails to avoid areas where ticks tend to gather, like shrubs and bushes. Always use insect repellent containing DEET, permethrin, or picaridin when outdoors.