First case of rare, potentially fatal tickborne virus confirmed in New York state
The first known case of Bourbon virus, a rare illness with no known treatment that's caused by a bite from a Lone Star tick, was confirmed in New York earlier this year.
The first known case of Bourbon virus, a rare illness with no known treatment that's caused by a bite from a Lone Star tick, was confirmed in New York earlier this year.
Stony Brook Medicine in Suffolk County, confirmed a patient was treated for the virus in April 2026 by Dr. Luis Marcos, professor in the Departments of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology at the Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM) at Stony Brook University, and director of the Tick-borne Disease Clinic, and his colleagues.
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"This one case certainly was the Bourbon virus, and over a one-month period antibody titers increased eight-fold. The patient had shown some very severe symptoms and was hospitalized," Marcos said.
The patient was reported to have recovered from the illness, according to local media.
Marcos and colleagues published the findings in a study in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene of 107 individuals presenting with fever and other tick-borne illness symptoms between 2019 and 2024, Stony Brook Medicine said.
The Bourbon virus was discovered in 2014, and named after Bourbon County, Kansas, where it was discovered.
Bourbon virus has been confirmed to cause the deaths of at least two people, one in 2014 and another in 2026, Stony Brook Medicine said in a news release.
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"There are a lot of lone start ticks in New York and in the Northeast, we have dense populations, and when someone is infected with Bourbon virus symptoms they are similar to other tick-born infections," said Marocs. "For these reasons, the Bourbon virus is likely more prevalent than we think in our region and other cases are likely not being diagnosed."
Cases of Bourbon virus have been reported in the Midwest and Southern U.S. as well as in the Northeast, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Symptoms of the infection include fever, fatigue, rash, headache, body aches, nausea and vomiting, the CDC said.
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There is no vaccine or medication to prevent or treat Bourbon virus.
Bourbon virus remains rare compared to other more well-known and researched tickborne illnesses like Lyme disease.
Marcos and the co-authors said their study "highlight the need for expanded viral surveillance, clinical testing and assay development to improve clinical decision-making and inform tick-borne disease epidemiology and vector management."
To learn more about Bourbon virus, visit the CDC website.
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