A northern Minnesota woman has died from a tick-borne virus that is also present in southeast Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

The woman’s death is the first related to the Powassan virus, the Minnesota Department of Health said Wednesday. The department also identified a second case of the disease in an Anoka County man who survived.

The victims, both in their 60s, developed brain infections in May after spending time outdoors and noticing tick bites. The Powassan virus is transmitted by black-legged or “deer” ticks in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The department said Wednesday that Powassan-infected ticks have been found in Houston County, though no illnesses have been reported locally. Southeast Minnesota and western Wisconsin, heavily forested with hardwood trees, provide a popular home to ticks that can carry the virus.

The Powassan virus was first discovered in 1958 in Canada. Since then about 60 cases have been reported in North America. The virus was mostly seen in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States until the past decade, when cases were reported in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota.