Published August 6, 2026 05:21PM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Most hikers and campers are aware of the potential risk of getting Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, or similar diseases from a tick bite. But a May 2026 study published by Stony Brook University doctors and researchers in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene<\/i><\/a> (AJTMH<\/em>) suggested that a rare and potentially fatal tick-borne disease might be on the rise: Bourbon virus.<\/p>\n The doctors confirmed New York state\u2019s first-ever<\/a> case of the virus in the AJTMH<\/i> study, which detailed how two patients who developed a fever after a tick bite in Suffolk County, New York, had antibodies to Bourbon virus. Of those, one person had high-enough antibody levels that suggested they were recently infected. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is currently no known cure or vaccine<\/a> for Bourbon virus.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reality is, there is probably a lot more of this virus going around than we think,\u201d Dr. Thomas Russo<\/a>, an infectious disease doctor at the University at Buffalo in New York, told Outside<\/i>.<\/p>\n With that in mind, disease experts say that Bourbon virus is yet another tickborne illness that should be on your radar for people who spend significant time outdoors. Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n Bourbon virus is a tickborne disease that was first detected<\/a> in 2014 in Bourbon County, Kansas. The CDC says it likely spreads through the bite of an infected Lone Star tick. (Lone Star ticks are also responsible for alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to red meat<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Since the initial case, the virus has been detected in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri and some eastern and southern states. \u201cThe Lone Star\u00a0tick\u2019s geographic range seems to be increasing,\u201d Russo said. \u201cIt\u2019s possible that we may see more Bourbon virus as a result.\u201d<\/p>\nWhat Exactly Is Bourbon Virus?<\/h2>\n