Health officials have confirmed New York’s first known case of Bourbon virus, a rare tick-borne disease that has no vaccine, no approved treatment, and no widely available diagnostic test. The case is raising concerns that the virus may be far more widespread than previously believed, particularly as lone star ticks continue expanding across the Northeast.

The patient, 67-year-old Michael Larkin, contracted the virus after being bitten by two lone star ticks while doing outdoor work in Suffolk County on Long Island.

Because Bourbon virus is so uncommon and produces symptoms that resemble more familiar tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease, physicians initially diagnosed Larkin with Lyme and prescribed antibiotics. While that treatment is effective against bacterial infections, it has no effect on Bourbon virus, allowing the illness to progress unchecked.

As the infection worsened, Larkin developed a high fever, severe headaches, a rash, and drenching night sweats. Patients infected with the virus may also experience extreme fatigue, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and other flu-like symptoms.

Larkin spent five days hospitalized before ultimately recovering. Not every patient has survived, however.

Although only a small number of Bourbon virus infections have been documented—primarily in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma—the disease has already claimed two lives. On average, fewer than one confirmed case has been reported each year in those states.

“Now we know the virus can be lethal. On Long Island, at least, we have a lot of lone star ticks,” Dr. Luis Marcos, who treated Larkin, told CBS News. “And honestly this may be the very, very tip of the iceberg.”

The virus takes its name from Bourbon County, Kansas, where it was first identified. It is transmitted by the lone star tick, an aggressive species easily recognized by the distinctive white spot on the back of adult females. These ticks commonly inhabit forests, brush, and areas with tall grass.

The spread of lone star ticks has been fueled in large part by booming white-tailed deer populations. As deer increasingly live near residential neighborhoods—and with many of their natural predators gone—they provide an ideal host for growing tick populations.

Climate conditions are also contributing to the problem. Warmer winters and longer summers are allowing ticks to remain active for extended periods and expand farther north into states where they were once uncommon.

In addition to Bourbon virus, lone star ticks are responsible for transmitting ehrlichiosis, a bacterial illness that produces flu-like symptoms. They can also trigger alpha-gal syndrome, a condition that can leave people with a long-lasting allergy to red meat and dairy products.

“There are a lot of lone start ticks in New York and in the Northeast, we have dense populations,” Marcos said in a press release.

Although Larkin became ill in 2021, confirming the diagnosis required specialized laboratory testing that was unavailable at the time. It took five years before doctors were able to definitively identify Bourbon virus as the cause of his illness, raising new questions about how many infections may have gone unnoticed.

“The Bourbon virus is likely more prevalent than we think in our region and other cases are likely not being diagnosed,” Marcos said.

Marcos and his colleagues say the case highlights the urgent need for expanded surveillance, improved laboratory testing, and greater awareness among healthcare providers so patients can be diagnosed more quickly.

Since there is currently no medication that directly targets Bourbon virus, treatment focuses on managing complications. Hospitalized patients may receive intravenous fluids to combat dehydration along with medications to reduce fever and relieve pain while their immune system fights the infection.

“Without identifying the cause of an infection, the chances of developing accurate diagnostic tests or effective treatments are minimal,” Marcos said. “That is why it is so important to first understand the true impact of the virus in high-risk areas.”

Experts recommend taking precautions to reduce the risk of tick bites, including avoiding wooded, brush-filled, and grassy areas whenever possible and staying in the middle of marked trails when hiking. They also advise treating clothing with 0.5% permethrin and using EPA-approved insect repellents containing ingredients such as DEET to help keep ticks away.

{Matzav.com}