Key Takeaway:
- New York confirmed its first Bourbon virus case in a 67-year-old Long Island man after a year-long diagnosis.
- Bourbon virus is a rare, potentially fatal tick-borne disease with no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
- Experts warn the virus may be underdiagnosed because its symptoms closely resemble other tick-borne illnesses.
A Long Island man has become New York state’s first confirmed Bourbon virus patient after a yearlong medical investigation, prompting renewed warnings from health experts about the rare, potentially fatal tick-borne disease and the growing presence of Lone Star ticks, echoing Salt Lake County’s first human West Nile virus case this year.
Doctors confirm New York’s first Bourbon virus case
A 67-year-old Brookhaven Town resident has been identified as the first confirmed Bourbon virus case in New York state, according to findings published last month in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene by Stony Brook Medicine.
The patient, Michael Larkin, was diagnosed after doctors spent about a year investigating the cause of his illness. CBS News first identified Larkin in a May report.
Larkin said he was working in his backyard when two ticks attached to his leg. He later developed fever, fatigue, rashes, headaches, nausea and vomiting, with symptoms worsening over time.
“We were able to diagnose him after a year-long study trying to identify his illness,” Dr. Luis Marcos of Stony Brook Medicine said in comments reported by CBS News.
Health officials warn virus can be deadly
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Bourbon virus is a rare tick-borne illness believed to spread primarily through bites from the Lone Star tick. The agency says there is currently no vaccine or specific treatment for the virus.
The virus was first identified in 2014 in Bourbon County, Kansas, where it received its name. According to the CDC, the first known patient died from the infection, and another confirmed fatal case occurred in 2026.
Marcos said the disease may be more widespread than current records suggest because its symptoms closely resemble those of other tick-borne illnesses.
“Now we know the virus can be lethal. On Long Island, at least, we have a lot of Lone Star ticks,” Marcos told CBS News. “And honestly this may be the very, very tip of the iceberg.”
Experts urge tick bite prevention and greater awareness
Marcos said diagnosing Bourbon virus remains challenging because there are currently no specific clinical tests to confirm the infection.
Health officials advise people to reduce exposure to ticks by wearing long sleeves and pants in wooded or grassy areas, using approved insect repellents and checking for ticks after spending time outdoors.
The CDC says people should seek medical attention if they develop symptoms such as fever, fatigue, rash or severe illness after a tick bite. While confirmed Bourbon virus infections remain rare, experts say increased awareness among both the public and health care providers may improve detection of additional cases.
Researchers continue to study the virus to better understand how often infections occur and whether additional cases have gone undiagnosed because of similarities to other tick-borne diseases.
