Summer is here, but so are ticks. Learn how to protect yourself.

MedlinePlus sent this bulletin at 06/30/2017 11:10 AM EDT

Summer is officially here which means more time to go camping or have picnics with family and friends. However, some part of the US are expected to see an increase in the number of tick bites and tick-borne diseases, such as Powassan virus, due to the milder winter.

What is Powassan Virus?

Powassan (POW) virus disease is a rare, but sometimes serious, disease that is spread by infected ticks. There have been about 75 cases reported in the Great Lakes and northeastern region of the US in the past 10 years. The virus is carried by the same tick that often passes on Lyme disease.

People may become sick within one week to one month after being bitten. While people with the POW virus do not typically develop any symptoms, some of the common symptoms are:

Fever
Headache
Vomiting
Weakness
Confusion

How can you prevent from getting the POW virus?

There is no vaccine for POW virus but people can prevent from getting infected by:

Tucking pants legs into sock;
Avoiding tall grass, leaf piles, or shrubs;
Using a chemical insect repellent with DEET, permethrin (should only be sprayed on clothes) or picaridin.

If bitten, the ticks can be removed by grasping it at the mouth with tweezers and pulling it straight out slowly.