Karmactive StaffResearchers at Stony Brook Medicine identified New York State’s first confirmed Bourbon virus case through a retrospective study completed in April 2026, which analysed 107 patients who presented with fever and tick-bite symptoms between 2019 and 2024. The case involved Michael Larkin, a 67-year-old Long Island resident who was bitten by two lone star ticks while working outdoors in Suffolk County in 2021.
After developing a rash, fever, night sweats, and severe headaches in 2021, Larkin spent five days hospitalised before making a full recovery. However, it would take five years for his infection to be definitively diagnosed as Bourbon virus. Blood samples analysed at the New York State Department of Health found two cases with neutralising antibodies for Bourbon virus, with one showing a four-fold rise in antibodies, pointing to a severe or very recent infection.
Bourbon virus belongs to the Bunyavirus family, primarily transmitted through tick bites — in this case the lone star tick — in forested areas. The CDC issued guidance recommending protective measures for individuals spending time outdoors in regions where tick populations thrive. The virus causes fever, headache, muscle aches, and potentially severe complications in susceptible populations, and no standard clinical laboratory test currently exists to diagnose it.
Public health authorities began enhanced surveillance protocols to identify additional cases across New York State. The discovery of Larkin’s case revealed a structural diagnostic gap — the absence of a routine clinical test means many infections may have gone undetected and misattributed to other tick-borne illnesses.
The discovery emphasised the importance of tick prevention strategies, including proper clothing coverage, insect repellent application, and prompt post-exposure tick removal. Researchers recommended that healthcare providers maintain heightened awareness of Bourbon virus as a potential diagnosis for unexplained fever in patients with tick-exposure history in affected regions.
Virologists noted the virus primarily produces severe illness in individuals with weakened immune systems, though cases of serious disease in otherwise healthy individuals have also been documented. The National Institutes of Health has indicated research efforts are focused on developing reliable diagnostic tests and understanding the full geographic distribution of the virus in North American tick populations.
