If you like to spend time outside enjoying nature, you probably already know about the risks of tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease or babesiosis. A relatively newly discovered disease that you might not be familiar with, though, is the Bourbon virus. It’s an emerging disease, so more research needs to be done to fully understand it.
Here’s what is known so far, including symptoms, causes, and treatment.
What Is the Bourbon Virus?
The Bourbon virus was first identified in 2014 in Bourbon County, Kansas, which gave this disease its name. The Bourbon virus was accidentally discovered while research was being done on a different virus, the Heartland virus. Since this virus is so new and there have only been a limited number of cases reported, not much is known yet about the Bourbon virus.
This virus belongs to a group of viruses called thogotoviruses. Even though there are thogotoviruses all over the world, the Bourbon virus has only been reported in the midwestern U.S. and some states in the south. The majority of thogotoviruses are carried by ticks in other parts of the world, including Africa, southern Europe, and Asia. However, those viruses weren’t known to cause illnesses in humans.
The Heartland virus. The Heartland virus is a separate virus belonging to the phlebovirus group. Current research indicates that this virus is spread by the bite of the lone-star tick. It was first discovered in Missouri in 2009, and since then, cases have been reported in the Midwest and throughout the South. Most cases occur from May to September. While researching this virus, researchers discovered another: the Bourbon virus.
Cause of the Bourbon Virus
The first reported case of a Bourbon virus infection occurred in the spring of 2014 in eastern Kansas. The infected person was a 50-year-old man, otherwise healthy before he began showing symptoms. He reported that he had been exposed to ticks before he became ill, so it’s currently assumed that the Bourbon virus is the result of a tick bite. Unfortunately, the man later died as a result of this virus.
Due to the research that was done on the Heartland virus, experts believe that the same tick, the lone-star tick, is also responsible for spreading the Bourbon virus. The Bourbon virus is also similar to another tick-borne illness called ehrlichiosis. The symptoms for all three of these illnesses seem to overlap, but blood testing has confirmed that they are distinct viruses.
Bourbon Virus Symptoms
Scientists are still reviewing possible symptoms that may be caused by this virus since it’s so new and still considered to be quite rare. Researchers and doctors have determined that those diagnosed with the illness had these symptoms in common:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Rash
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Body aches
- Diarrhea
- Disorientation
- Severe joint pain
After testing, each patient who was diagnosed with the Bourbon virus also displayed low white blood cell and platelet counts. They were all hospitalized, but while some people were able to make a full recovery, others passed away due to their illness.
Making a Diagnosis
Diagnosing a case of Bourbon virus disease can be difficult since so little is known about it and the symptoms are similar to those of many other illnesses. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has been working with state health departments for several years to identify more cases of the Bourbon virus. By doing so, they can validate diagnostic tests for this virus.
People should be tested for the Bourbon virus if they meet certain criteria, the first being a febrile illness within the last three months. They should also meet at least one epidemiologic criterion and one clinical criterion. Epidemiologic criteria include finding a tick on your body, having a tick bite, or being exposed to ticks during peak season (April through October). Clinical criteria include having a suspected tick-borne illness that doesn’t respond to treatment or low platelets and white blood cell counts without any other explanation.
Bourbon Virus Treatment
There currently isn’t a vaccine to prevent this virus from infecting you. Research has revealed that the Bourbon virus doesn’t respond to antibiotics since it’s not caused by bacteria. There also isn’t a medicine specifically used to eliminate the Bourbon virus, though there are ways to alleviate the symptoms. To help treat the symptoms of this virus, your doctor may use intravenous fluids to keep you hydrated and medication to relieve any pain or fever.
Bourbon Virus Prevention
Since there is no cure or specific treatment for the Bourbon virus, the best thing that you can do is try to prevent it. Ticks are active all year long, but lone-star ticks seem to be most active from April through September. If you know you’re going to be in bushy, grassy areas or other places that are known to have ticks, keep these tips in mind.
- Wear long sleeves and pants to cover your skin. Tuck your pants into your socks so that ticks don’t have an entry point.
- Wear light-colored clothing so that ticks are more noticeable if one latches onto you.
- Wear close-toed shoes with socks.
- Stick to trails if you can and avoid brush or grassy areas.
- Spray insect repellent with DEET all over, including on top of your clothing. Be sure to read the safety instructions on the label first, though.
- Check for ticks as soon as you go inside. Go over areas like your neck, armpits, and groin. Remove any ticks on your body as soon as possible with a pair of tweezers.
We don’t know yet if pets can get the Bourbon virus. If you live in areas that have ticks, though, talk to your vet about tick control methods for your pet. If you notice that your pet is displaying strange symptoms, you should take them to the vet for immediate care.