Patel, Kavin

Kavin Patel, MD
Internal Medicine
Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Providence, RI
[email protected]

First Confirmed Case of Powassan Neuroinvasive Disease in Rhode Island (co-presenting with Dr. Reece)

Dr. Kavin Patel is an internal medicine resident at Brown University and an aspiring infectious disease specialist. He works closely with Dr. Reece and their research interests includes tick-borne diseases including Lyme, Babesia and Powassan.

---

Conference Lecture Summary

The Powassan Virus is the tick-borne vector responsible for Powassan neuroinvasive disease. The virus was first isolated in 1958 and has been responsible for approximately 100 cases of neuroinvasive disease. Rates of infection have been on the rise over the past decade with numerous states reporting their first confirmed case; New Jersey, New Hampshire and Connecticut all reported their first case within the last five years. The following presentation reviews the first confirmed case of Powassan neuroinvasive disease in the nearby state of Rhode Island. The case study provides evidence for the increasing spread of Powassan neuroinvasive disease and reinforces the importance of requesting focused testing for Powassan Virus in patients from an endemic area with a clinically compatible syndrome.