Suffolk County man survives first confirmed Bourbon virus case in New York

Michael Larkin, a 67-year-old Suffolk County man, survived the first confirmed case of Bourbon virus ever identified in New York, a rare tickborne illness that has no vaccine and no specific treatment. The virus is believed to spread through infected tick bites, and as of early 2026 only six human cases had been known worldwide.

Larkin was bitten by two lone star ticks while working outdoors in Suffolk County in 2021. His illness was not pinned down until samples were confirmed by the state Department of Health a few weeks before the May 2026 reports, after Stony Brook Medicine researchers completed a year-long antibody study. He spent five days in the hospital.

His symptoms included rash, fever, night sweats and headaches. He endured debilitating fevers, headaches and night sweats for five years after the bite. The virus was first identified in 2014 in Bourbon County, Kansas, and human cases have mostly been reported in the Midwest and southern United States.

Suffolk County is already tracking growing tick pressure. New York State’s 2025 tick-borne disease surveillance report found tick populations and the diseases they carry continue to rise across the state, with more tick-borne illnesses being found in new regions. Suffolk County health information puts Bourbon virus at extremely low levels locally, and an American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene study found evidence of both Heartland and Bourbon viruses transmitted by ticks in Suffolk County.

The CDC advises using tick repellent, wearing long pants and long sleeves, checking skin and clothing after time outdoors, and removing attached ticks promptly. It also says there is no vaccine to prevent Bourbon virus disease and no medicine that specifically treats it. Anyone who develops fever, rash, severe headaches or night sweats after a tick bite should seek medical care quickly, especially in Suffolk County, where lone star ticks are already part of the landscape.