Newborn fighting for her life after tick bit her on family walk, mother says
BOSTON (WBZ) - A Massachusetts newborn is fighting for her life in the hospital after she contracted a suspected case of Powassan virus, a rare but serious tick-borne disease.
Lily Sisco was flown to Massachusetts General Hospital just weeks after she was born June 30, according to her mother, Tiffany Sisco. She says the 5-week-old had a tick “the size of a needle tip” on her after her family took a short walk on a West Tisbury bike path.
Lily got a high fever and started experiencing seizures. Preliminary tests showed she contracted Powassan virus, a rare but serious tick-borne disease that can be fatal.
As Lily continues to fight the disease, inflammation is causing scarring in her brain, her mother says.
“We certainly had no idea a 20-minute walk on the West Tisbury bike path beside our home, a walk we do most every day, could potentially cost my child her life,” Sisco said.
Powassan is transmitted by deer ticks, and there is no treatment for it. There were just 57 cases of the virus nationwide in 2024, and there have been 24 cases so far this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“It is not common for babies who don’t walk to get tick-borne illnesses in general. This was really an unfortunate situation, obviously,” said Tufts Medical Center Chief Infection Control Officer Dr. Shira Doron.
Symptoms of Powassan include fever, headache, nausea and weakness. In severe cases like Lily’s, patients can suffer seizures and encephalitis, or brain swelling. The virus is deadly in about 10% of cases, and survivors may suffer from long-term health issues.
Doron says what makes Powassan so dangerous, compared to other tick-borne illnesses, is that it can infect a person within 15 minutes of a bite.
To prevent tick bites, experts recommend using insect repellent, wearing long clothing and checking yourself, children and pets for ticks after being outside in an area where they might be present.
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