{"id":5743,"date":"2026-07-30T17:46:41","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T17:46:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=5743"},"modified":"2026-07-30T17:46:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T17:46:41","slug":"first-case-of-untreatable-potentially-fatal-bourbon-virus-confirmed-in-new-york","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=5743","title":{"rendered":"First case of untreatable, potentially fatal Bourbon virus confirmed in New York"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

For the first time, a rare tick-borne infection has been confirmed in New York.<\/p>\n

Michael Larkin, 67, was working outdoors in Suffolk County when he was bitten by two lone star ticks, infecting him with the Bourbon virus.<\/p>\n

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There is no vaccine to prevent this disease, no commercial test to identify it \u2014 and no treatments for it.<\/p>\n

Its symptoms are similar to other tick-borne illnesses, like Lyme disease. Plus, because it\u2019s so rare, doctors may misidentify it, as they did in Larkin\u2019s case.<\/p>\n

Larkin was treated with an antibiotic, which is appropriate for Lyme disease, but that let the Bourbon virus run wild. He developed a rash, fever, night sweats and debilitating headaches.<\/p>\n

Other symptoms can include fatigue, rash, body aches, nausea and vomiting. <\/p>\n

He spent five days in the hospital before making a full recovery. But others haven\u2019t been so lucky.<\/p>\n

Very few cases have been confirmed even across Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri, where the virus is more prevalent \u2014 averaging less than one case per year.<\/p>\n

Two of those cases have ended in death.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow we know the virus can be lethal. On Long Island, at least, we have a lot of lone star ticks,\u201d Dr. Luis Marcos, who treated Larkin, told CBS News. \u201cAnd honestly this may be the very, very tip of the iceberg.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018Likely more prevalent than we think\u2019<\/h2>\n

Bourbon virus, named for the county in Kansas where the disease was first identified, is carried by lone star ticks.<\/p>\n

These aggressive ticks have a white dot or \u201clone star\u201d on their back. They\u2019re found in wooded areas, tall grass and brush.<\/p>\n

Just as the Bourbon virus relies on lone star ticks to spread, lone star ticks rely on white-tailed deer.<\/p>\n

These deer have exploded in population and live beside humans. Their natural predators have been eliminated, and they love to hang out in suburban yards.<\/p>\n

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More deer means more ticks. Plus, milder winters and longer warm seasons mean ticks are out longer and going farther north.<\/p>\n

Lone star ticks can also trigger alpha-gal syndrome, which can cause a lifelong meat and dairy allergy. They can also spread ehrlichiosis, a bacterial infection with flu-like symptoms.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a lot of lone start ticks in New York and in the Northeast, we have dense populations,\u201d Marcos said in a press release.<\/p>\n

Larkin was actually infected with the Bourbon virus in 2021. It took five years for the diagnosis to be confirmed with specialized tests. It begs the question: how many more have been infected in the area since?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Bourbon virus is likely more prevalent than we think in our region and other cases are likely not being diagnosed,\u201d Marcos said.<\/p>\n

That indicates a major need for better surveillance and testing and better guidance for doctors, Marcos and his team said.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

If patients need to be hospitalized, doctors will likely have to treat symptoms, using IV fluids for dehydration and meds for pain and fever.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout identifying the cause of an infection, the chances of developing accurate diagnostic tests or effective treatments are minimal,\u201d Marcos said. \u201cThat is why it is so important to first understand the true impact of the virus in high-risk areas.\u201d<\/p>\n

To protect yourself from tick bites, avoid grassy, brushy and wooded areas. Stay in the center of trails when you\u2019re in the woods.<\/p>\n

You can also treat your clothes with 0.5% permethrin and EPA-registered insect repellents like DEET.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe Bourbon virus is likely more prevalent than we think in our region and other cases are likely not being diagnosed.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5742,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"yoast_head":"\nFirst case of untreatable, potentially fatal Bourbon virus confirmed in New York - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=5743\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"First case of untreatable, potentially fatal Bourbon virus confirmed in New York - 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