Health officials in Kansas say they have discovered a new virus that appears to be carried by ticks or other insects. The virus was discovered after the death of a man in Bourbon County, KS.
The newly discovered virus is being called Bourbon virus after the county where the man died this past summer.
The Kansas Department of Health and the Environment said that testing by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed that the virus was one that had not been identified before. However, it is not clear as yet how much the virus contributed to the man's death.
"This was the first known instance and the only confirmed case," said Aimee Rosenow, a spokeswoman for the Kansas health department. "This is a new virus, and we are still learning."
As yet, there is no vaccine against Bourbon virus nor is there any treatment that is specific to the disease. Treatment for any new cases would consist of treatments that relieve symptoms. The man's symptoms included fever and fatigue, which are symptoms that are common to other tick-borne diseases. The virus is a type of thogotovirus.
Health department officials in Kansas said the risk of Bourbon virus is minimal during the winter because it appears to be transmitted through tick bites or bites from other insects. When spring and summer come, people can take the same precautions they take to prevent the other tick-borne illnesses. These include using insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, and avoiding heavily wooded areas or areas with high grass or a lot of leaf litter.
Several types of ticks can spread viruses, bacteria, and protozoas through a bite. Diseases that are spread by a bite from a tick include Lyme disease, Rock Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, tularemia, and a type of encephalitis.