NY's first tick-borne Bourbon virus confirmed on Long Island
Newsday • • health
Key Points:
- Michael Larkin, a Long Island resident, was diagnosed five years after falling ill with the state's first confirmed case of Bourbon virus, a rare tick-borne disease transmitted by the lone star tick.
- Bourbon virus, first discovered in 2014 in Kansas, causes symptoms similar to other tick-borne illnesses, such as high fever and body aches, and currently has no specific treatment or vaccine.
- Testing for Bourbon virus is limited to specialized labs, contributing to underreporting, though experts believe many cases go undetected due to mild or asymptomatic infections.
- The growing population of lone star ticks on Long Island raises concerns about increased Bourbon virus cases, paralleling the rise of other tick-borne diseases in the region.
- Ongoing research at Stony Brook Medicine involves monitoring patients with tick-related illnesses to better understand and track rare viruses like Bourbon, Powassan, and Heartland.