Archive · 31 Jul 2026
First New York Case of Untreatable Bourbon Virus
A 67‑year‑old man in New York got sick after a tick bite.
Doctors first thought it was Lyme disease, but it turned out to be a very rare virus called Bourbon virus.
There’s no vaccine or medicine for it, so doctors can only help by giving fluids and pain relief.
The virus is spread by lone star ticks, so people should use bug spray, wear long clothes, and check for ticks after being outside.
The case shows how dangerous tick bites can be and why we need to be careful.
First confirmed case of Bourbon virus in New York, detected in a 67‑year‑old man from Suffolk County.
The patient was bitten by lone star ticks while working outdoors and initially treated for Lyme disease before Bourbon virus was identified.
No approved vaccine, antiviral treatment, or widely available diagnostic test exists for Bourbon virus.
Symptoms mirror other tick‑borne illnesses—fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain—and can become severe, especially in older adults or immunocompromised patients.
Prevention relies on tick‑bite avoidance: repellents, protective clothing, staying on trails, and prompt tick removal.
- Who
- 67‑year‑old man from Suffolk County, New York
- What
- First confirmed case of Bourbon virus in New York
- When
- recently
- Where
- Suffolk County, New York, United States
- Why
- to highlight the emergence of a rare, untreatable tick‑borne virus and raise awareness of prevention and lack of treatment
- Virus
- Bourbon virus
- First detected in New York
- Yes
- Affected individual age
- 67
- Transmission
- lone star tick bite
- Treatment
- supportive care only
- Vaccine
- None
- Diagnostic test availability
- Limited