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Source: https://scitechdaily.com/rare-bourbon-virus-confirmed-in-new-york-for-the-first-time/
Rare Bourbon Virus Confirmed in New York for the First Time
By Stony Brook UniversityJuly 29, 2026
A mysterious tick-borne virus may already be spreading unnoticed in the Northeast.
Researchers have confirmed New York State’s first case of Bourbon virus, a rare and potentially severe infection carried by lone star ticks. The discovery on Long Island raises concerns that additional cases may have been mistaken for more familiar tick-borne illnesses, especially because the symptoms overlap and no widely available diagnostic test exists.
The findings, led by Stony Brook Medicine and published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, suggest that the virus could be more established in the region than current case numbers indicate.
Bourbon virus was first identified in Bourbon County, Kansas, in 2014. Since then, only a small number of infections have been documented, primarily in the central United States. However, the lone star tick has expanded into much of the Northeast, creating new opportunities for the virus to spread.
Unlike many bacterial infections transmitted by ticks, Bourbon virus does not respond to antibiotics. There is also no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment. Patients may develop fever, extreme fatigue, headaches, body aches, nausea, and a rash.
Those broad symptoms make the infection difficult to distinguish from other tick-related illnesses...
Rare Bourbon Virus Confirmed in New York for the First Time
By Stony Brook UniversityJuly 29, 2026
A mysterious tick-borne virus may already be spreading unnoticed in the Northeast.
Researchers have confirmed New York State’s first case of Bourbon virus, a rare and potentially severe infection carried by lone star ticks. The discovery on Long Island raises concerns that additional cases may have been mistaken for more familiar tick-borne illnesses, especially because the symptoms overlap and no widely available diagnostic test exists.
The findings, led by Stony Brook Medicine and published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, suggest that the virus could be more established in the region than current case numbers indicate.
Bourbon virus was first identified in Bourbon County, Kansas, in 2014. Since then, only a small number of infections have been documented, primarily in the central United States. However, the lone star tick has expanded into much of the Northeast, creating new opportunities for the virus to spread.
Unlike many bacterial infections transmitted by ticks, Bourbon virus does not respond to antibiotics. There is also no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment. Patients may develop fever, extreme fatigue, headaches, body aches, nausea, and a rash.
Those broad symptoms make the infection difficult to distinguish from other tick-related illnesses...