Rare Bourbon Virus Detected in New York Patient

A 67-year-old man from Suffolk County, New York, has become the first confirmed case of the rare, tick-borne Bourbon virus in the state after being bitten by lone star ticks.

The patient required hospitalization for severe symptoms that initially mimicked Lyme disease, highlighting the diagnostic challenge posed by the lack of widely available commercial tests for the virus.

First identified in 2014 in Bourbon County, Kansas, the virus currently has no approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment, with medical care focused on managing symptoms and supportive therapy.