Rare Tick Virus Just Discovered In New York For 1st Time

A terrifying, hidden threat has officially breached New York, and medical experts are warning that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

New York has confirmed its first-ever human case of the rare, tick-borne Bourbon virus. This very rare tick-borne illness was previously only seen in the Midwest and South.

Long Island Man Is First Confirmed Case Of Rare Tick-Borne Bourbon Virus

Health officials confirmed that a 67-year-old man from Shirley, New York, on Long Island, just tested positive for the virus.

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Michael Larkin was bitten by ticks while he was landscaping in his backyard in 2021. He then developed severe fevers, debilitating headaches, body rashes, and night sweats.

He spent five days in the hospital before making a full recovery. Larkin wasn't officially diagnosed until this month, five years later, because standard commercial labs can't test for it.

Tip Of the Iceberg

Most labs in New York don't have standard tests for the Bourbon virus the way they do for Lyme disease.

His definitive diagnosis was only just uncovered and confirmed in May 2026 after specialized testing by the New York State Department of Health's Wadsworth Center.

Experts warn that this means there's a great chance that other New Yorkers have had this virus and never knew it.

Leading researchers are calling Larkin's case the very tip of the iceberg. That's because the tick that carried the virus, the Lone Star tick, has expanded its population across the Northeast.

Antibiotics Don't Work, No Current Vaccine

Health experts are worried because the antibiotics don't work on the Bourbon virus because it's viral, not bacterial. There's no vaccine or antiviral treatment.

Treatment is meant to just manage symptoms with IV fluids and pain relief while the body fights it off.

Severe cases are potentially life-threatening because the virus can also cause dangerous drops in white blood cells and platelets.

Symptoms typically appear within days of a bite. Symptoms include high fever, severe headaches, rash, and night sweats.

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