A new tick-borne virus dubbed the "Bourbon virus" is believed to be the cause of death for a man in Bourbon County, Kansas.
Doctors at the University of Kansas Hospital worked with the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for six months to solve the mystery after the patient died.
The man is the
only known victim of the Bourbon virus, ABC News said, which is similar to viruses that have been found in eastern Europe, Africa and Asia.
The Bourbon virus causes fever, malaise, anorexia, muscle aches, elevated liver enzymes, and damaged blood platelets.
Ticks cause more than a dozen different illnesses in the United States, including heartland virus, Lyme disease, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
"Bourbon virus has likely been around for some time, but only recently did we have the diagnostic techniques to isolate and identify such viruses," Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an
infectious disease specialist at the Unviersity of Kansas Hospital, said, according to Medical Daily.
The victim, John Seested of rural Fort Scott, Kansas, died in June after
testing negative for all tick-borne illnesses, The Fort Scott Tribune reported. Still, tick-borne illnesses was listed among three causes of death on his death certificate. He was 68.
The CDC has developed tests to identify Bourbon virus infections. There is no specific treatment, vaccine, or medication for the virus, so health officials are urging people to take precautions when outdoors during warm weather, including avoiding wooded and bushy areas, using insect repellent with DEET, wearing long sleeves and pants, and checking for ticks after being outdoors.
Twitter users expressed concern about the new virus.
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