Talking Ticks: Investigating Powassan Virus

Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences Associate Professor Matthew Aliota and his lab team were recently awarded funding for a research grant initiative on "Powassan virus evolution, fitness, and pathogenesis in the Northeast and Midwest United States." Aliota describes this investigation in more detail below.

Can you tell us a little bit about your research background and what led you to this new research project? 
Tick-borne Powassan virus (POWV) is an emerging public health threat, but has been understudied to date. Therefore in 2019, I established a collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Health to better understand the changing epidemiology of tick-borne POWV in Minnesota, including an assessment of the virus's genetic diversity in the State. In 2023, I expanded these efforts to include Wisconsin in collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. My long-time collaborator and friend, Dr. Alex Ciota, was involved in similar efforts in New York State. We decided to combine our efforts to address gaps in basic knowledge pertaining to POWV biology so that we are prepared for future outbreaks caused by this emerging disease threat.

What is the goal of this collaborative project?
The aim of this project is to combine field and laboratory studies to evaluate whether there are regional, local, and even hyperlocal differences in the genetic structure of tick and virus populations that affect patterns of POWV host/vector competence, virulence, and evolution.

Will this impact the long-term mission of your lab?
In these studies, we will expand POWV surveillance activities in Minnesota to intensely sample POWV genomes and tick populations across the state. The New York State Department of Health has a robust POWV surveillance program in place for this project that we will leverage. We will also seek to understand the phenotypic and genotypic underpinnings of virus-host dynamics for POWV using mouse and tick experimental systems.

What is the overall importance of this research effort?
These studies are critically important because POWV likely will continue to emerge in the future. Therefore, understanding how POWV overcomes evolutionary barriers to emerge and cause disease in humans will be critical for prediction, prevention, and control of this arboviral disease.