A Fatal Tick Bite Caused a Man's Brain to ‘Blow Up'
In 2024, a Massachusetts man was bit by a tick. Days later, he collapsed and was hospitalized. Weeks later, he was dead. Now his family is hoping that their tragedy could help to save other people's lives.
As CBS News reports, the family of Kevin Boyce is kicking off the summer season by sharing their heartbreak.
In April 2024, Boyce got a tick bite without even realizing it. Within a few days, he began experiencing a number of debilitating symptoms that mimicked the flu, including an extreme headache and vomiting. Not long after that, the 62-year-old collapsed in his home and was rushed to Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was diagnosed with Powassan virus.According to the New York State Department of Health, many people who are infected with Powassan virus never develop any symptoms. Those who do develop symptoms usually begin experiencing them within one to four weeks of the bite, with fever, headache, vomiting, confusion, and seizures among the initial symptoms. For more severe cases, the onset of symptoms seems to occur more quickly and can include tremors, paralysis, coma, or death. Powassan can also cause encephalitis and meningitis.
Powassan virus is rare, but approximately 10 percent of all cases are fatal. And the number of infections appears to be on the rise. In 2024, the scientific journal Clinical Microbiology and Infection published data that indicated a 'four-fold rise' in the number of cases between 2014 to 2023, compared to 2004 to 2013.
In Boyce's case, the disease progressed quickly.
Boyce's sister, Erin, explained that Kevin was in the ICU, but ultimately the damage his brain sustained was too much. Just a few weeks after being admitted to the hospital, he passed away.'His brain had blown up so much, from the encephalitis, and he had really bad brain damage,' Erin said of her brother, who left a wife, two sons, and a granddaughter behind.
One year later, Boyce's family wants to turn their tragedy into a learning lesson—and a warning for others. 'We just want the public to know what to look for and be wary of ticks,' Erin said, 'especially if you have one on your body.'
A Fatal Tick Bite Caused a Man's Brain to 'Blow Up' first appeared on Men's Journal on May 30, 2025
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