New Tick-Borne 'Bourbon Virus' Discovered in Kansas After Infected Man Dies; CDC, Doctors Don't Know How to Stop It
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment recently announced the discovery of a new tick-borne disease in Kansas called the Bourbon virus after concluding that it may have killed a man in Bourbon County this summer.
They also revealed that they don't yet know enough about the virus to stop it and want residents to take precautions to avoid it.
In a carefully worded release Monday, the KDHE noted: "This is the first known case of Bourbon virus, which has been named after Bourbon County, where the patient had lived. Because of the patient's symptoms and changes in blood counts, it was believed that the resident had a tick-borne illness, such as ehrlichiosis or the Heartland virus disease. However, specimens taken from the resident tested negative for known tick-borne diseases, and after further investigation it was determined to be a new, never before seen, virus. It is not known if Bourbon virus was the cause of death or how much it contributed to the resident's death."
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University of Kansas Hospital infectious disease expert Dr. Dana Hawkinson explained in a video posted to YouTube Monday that while the genome of the Bourbon virus is similar to other viruses found in Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia, nothing like it had ever been identified in the Western Hemisphere.
"Those other viruses that it seems to be related to there are very few cases reported to cause illness in humans and animals, but certainly nothing as we have seen here," said Hawkinson.
"We've never seen it before, and obviously the only patient that we have seen with it unfortunately passed away and had a less than optimal outcome; and that caused a lot of frustration for myself and all the other medical professionals caring for him because we just couldn't answer questions for the family and ourselves as to why this was happening to this gentleman," he explained.
"Unfortunately, we don't know the full spectrum of [the] disease because it's the first case. Does everybody who gets it have the same outcome? Or are there some more mild cases and people recover? We just don't know that at this time," he said.
Typical symptoms, according to Hawkinson, include: fever, malaise and anorexia.
"They just feel bad and they just don't feel like eating," said the disease expert.
Aching muscles can also be a major symptom of the disease. Lab tests also reveal blood cell lines decreasing such as platelets and white blood cells. Liver enzyme also seems to be elevated.
Hawkinson stressed that there is no treatment available and the KDHE and the CDC recommend that people:
• Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter;
• Use insect repellent containing DEET when outdoors;
• Use products that contain permethrin on clothing;
• Wear clothing with long sleeves and pants;
• Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors to wash off and more easily find ticks that are crawling on you;
• Conduct a full-body tick check after spending time outdoors; and
• Examine gear and pets, as ticks can "ride" into the home and attach to a person later.
"There is no known specific treatment, vaccine, or drug for Bourbon virus disease. Since Bourbon virus disease is thought to be transmitted through tick or insect bites, risk to the public during the winter months is minimal," said the KDHE.
