Two emerging tick viruses that can be deadly are spreading in the US

Two emerging tick-borne viruses, Heartland virus and Bourbon virus, have claimed at least seven lives in the United States and appear to be spreading across the country. Nebraska recently became the ninth state to detect one or both of these viruses in local ticks, with New York reporting its first case of Bourbon virus in a person. Joseph Fauver, a scientist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, is concerned about the potential expansion of these viruses in tick populations.

Both viruses are transmitted by lone star ticks, originally found in southeastern states, but now spreading north and west due to climate change and habitat changes. The Heartland virus was first identified in 2012 and Bourbon virus in 2015 after infecting individuals with severe symptoms or death. Lone star ticks have been found carrying the viruses in Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Alabama, Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, with Nebraska recently joining the list.

While no one in Nebraska is known to have contracted these viruses, there is a possibility that undiagnosed cases may exist. Symptoms of infection include fever, fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, muscle or joint aches, and nausea. Currently, no commercial tests exist for these viruses, so they are only detected through specialized laboratory analysis.

Lyme disease is becoming more common worldwide, with warming temperatures possibly contributing to ticks spreading to new regions. Heartland virus was discovered at Heartland Regional Medical Center in Missouri, and Bourbon virus originated in Bourbon county, Kansas. Since then, more than 80 people have been infected with Heartland virus in the central and eastern US, and at least four have died.

The most recent death was a Connecticut woman who died from cardiac arrest after contracting the virus from tick bites during a hiking trip. Bourbon virus has also caused multi-organ failure in a few individuals, leading to death.