Upstate New York Man Shocked By 20 Deadly Ticks

For many, this is a nightmare situation come to life.

These ticks carry a rare virus that antibiotics can't treat.

20 Ticks That Spread Rare Fatal Disease Found On Tent In Upstate New York

Healty.NY.Gov

Keith Hendriks was overnight hiking in the Catskills recently and spotted 20 lone star ticks outside his tent!

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He told the Times Union he was staying near a hiking trail in Windham. The avid hiker reports getting Lyme disease at least eight times.

He recognized the lone star ticks by their white markings on their backs. These ticks can transmit a rare and untreatable virus that can be fatal.

Rare, Untreatable Fatal Virus Found In New York For The 1st Time

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The virus, called the Bourbon virus, was just confirmed in New York State for the first time. A Long Island man was bitten by two lone star ticks while working outdoors in 2021.

He was hospitalized with severe symptoms but made a full recovery. It was just confirmed that he was infected with Bourbon virus. It took so long because there's no commercial lab test available. Samples must be sent directly to the New York State Department of Health or the CDC for confirmation.

Standard antibiotics like doxycycline, which doctors routinely use to treat Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, do not work against Bourbon virus because it is a viral infection, not a bacterial one.

The symptoms closely mimic those of Lyme disease, including high fever, severe headache, body aches, extreme fatigue, and a rash.

nih.gov

That makes it very difficult for doctors to identify without specialized testing.

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