State officials are reminding people to check for ticks after spending time outdoors.  This follows an increase in the number of ticks found carrying Lyme Disease, and a report of a New Milford man dying after contracting a different tick-borne illness.  55-year-old Michael Yoder died of liver and kidney failure after contracting Babesiosis  from a tick bite. 

The state Agricultural Experiment Station is also concerned about Pawassan Virus.  There's no treatment for Pawassan Virus and can be transmitted by ticks within matter of minutes.  There is no cure and it can be fatal in some cases.

Two to three percent of ticks tested in Connecticut have been found carrying the Pawassan Virus.

The Centers for Disease Control has reported an increase in Babesiosis cases in the state, from 74 in 2011 to 205 in 2014. Still, fatal cases remain low with one death reported in 2015 and in 2016.