The Daily Freeman is reporting a case of the rare tick-borne Powassan virus has been confirmed in a Dutchess County resident, according to that county's Department of Behavioral and Community Health. The resident contracted the virus in the late spring and is currently recovering at home, the department said in a press release. Powassan virus can cause symptoms ranging from a mild flu-like illness to life-threatening neurologic disease. While the virus is a known risk from tick bites, it is more rare than other tick-borne infections like Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis. There have been a total of 30 cases of Powassan diagnosed in New York state since 2007, and seven of those cases were found in Dutchess County. Best practices to prevent tick bites include walking in the center of clear, well-traveled trails and avoid wandering through dense woods or brush, wearing light-colored clothing so ticks can be easily spotted and using insect repellents containing the active ingredient DEET, Picaridin or IR3535. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.