A rare tick-borne disease, Bourbon virus, has been detected in New York for the first time. The patient, a 67-year-old man from Suffolk County, is believed to have contracted the virus after being bitten by lone star ticks while working outdoors.

He was first treated for a more common tick-borne disease because his symptoms closely resembled illnesses such as Lyme disease. However, his condition worsened before doctors identified Bourbon virus as the cause.

While the patient recovered after being hospitalised, the case has raised concerns because the virus doesn't have any approved vaccine, specific antiviral treatment, and widely available diagnostic test.

Even though the virus is extremely rare, it can cause severe illness, especially in older adults or people with weakened immune systems. It is spread through the bite of infected lone star ticks, which are found in several parts of the United States. Since there is no cure, treatment mainly focuses on managing symptoms and supporting the patient until the body fights off the infection.

Read on to know more about the virus, its symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and more.Bourbon virus is a rare virus that was first identified in 2014 in Bourbon County, Kansas, after a man died from an unexplained illness following multiple tick bites.

It belongs to a group of viruses known as thogotoviruses, which are related to influenza viruses but are spread through ticks rather than from person to person.

Researchers believe the virus is primarily transmitted through the bite of infected lone star ticks. While only a small number of human cases have been confirmed, experts suspect that more infections may have occurred but were mistaken for other tick-borne illnesses since they have similar symptoms.

Source:Ndtv