A 3-year-old who caught a rare tick-borne virus in his family's yard was hospitalized for 12 days, and it left part of his body weak

• One side of a toddler's body is weak after he caught a rare, potentially deadly tick-borne virus.

• Two weeks after he was bitten by a tick, he was hospitalized with a throbbing head and high temperatures.

• A boy was diagnosed with a disease and treated with a vaccine.

A toddler in Pennsylvania has a rare tick-borne virus and is weak on the left side of his body, according to his mom.

Jamie told Insider that she spotted a tick in her son's shoulder while he was swimming. Jamie Simoson said that she was able to remove the tick with a pair of tweezers.

He began to complain of headaches, became sleepy, and had a high temperature.

Simoson took Jonny to the emergency room after seeing a doctor twice. The next 12 days were spent in a general ward, then in a children's intensive care unit, as doctors tried to figure out what was wrong with him. Simoson wrote in a post that he was diagnosed with meningoencephalitis after being ruled out of other causes.

It was so hard to find a solution. Simoson said they were terrified that they wouldn't come home with their child.

Powassan virus, spread by deer ticks, is rare

Black-legged ticks and deer ticks can carry the Powassan virus. Testing for spinal fluid is the most common way to diagnose it.

In Northeastern states and the Great Lakes region, between six and 39 cases are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention each year.

Most people don't have any symptoms, but the virus can cause confusion, loss of coordination, difficulty speaking, and seizures if it enters the brain.

According to the CDC, about one in ten people who get severe illness from the Powassan virus die, and about half who survive are left with long-term loss of muscle and strength.

Meningoencephalitis is a serious condition where the brain and the thin tissues surrounding it get inflammation.

Jonny received an antibody treatment

Most people with severe disease are treated in the hospital with supportive measures, which include fluids through a vein and oxygen, because there are no proven medications for the disease.

A treatment called IVIG therapy, which has been used to treat children and adults with heart conditions, was used to treat Jonny.

The doctor who was involved in the case told CBS Philly that the patient responded well to the treatment.

I can't say whether it's due to IVIG or not, but more studies need to be done on the issue.

After being released from the hospital, he was weak on one side of his body and needed physical rehabilitation. He had to relearn how to eat and drink.

Jony's balance was poor and he wasn't walking. Simoson wrote that they knew they had a lot of work to do but were up for it.

Simoson told CBS Philly that they were confident that progress would continue.

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