No cure, no vaccine: Experts warn of rare Bourbon virus after first NY case

A rarely diagnosed tick-borne virus with no vaccine or specific treatment has been confirmed in New York for the first time, prompting researchers to warn that additional infections may be going undiagnosed.

The Bourbon virus, "transmitted through the common lone star tick, could soon begin to complicate diagnoses if it becomes more prevalent this summer and in coming years," Stony Brook Medicine warned in a news release reporting on a study of the virus.

Only six human cases have been reported since Bourbon virus was first identified in Bourbon County, Kansas, where the first known patient was diagnosed in 2014. That patient later died.

The virus has been associated with at least two deaths, including the original 2014 case and another reported in 2026. Researchers believe, however, that additional infections have likely gone undiagnosed. ---More...