Novel Thogotovirus Associated with Febrile Illness and Death, United States, 2014

Commentary: A novel viral tick-borne illness has been identified in the Midwest by the CDC, called the “Bourbon virus”. This virus took the life of a Kansas man in 2014, and was associated with hematological abnormalities resembling Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichiosis, Rickettsial infections and The Heartland Virus (low white cell counts, low platelet counts and elevated liver functions). The patient died of cardio-respiratory complications with shock and ARDS (Acute respiratory distress syndrome), which is a rare complication of other tick-borne disorders, such as Babesiosis, and the relapsing fever spirochete, Borrelia miyamotoi. As per the CDC report: “The discovery of Bourbon virus, in addition to recent discoveries of tick-associated Heartland and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome viruses, suggests that the public health burden of these pathogens has been underestimated”.

Novel Thogotovirus Associated with Febrile Illness and Death, United States, 2014, CDC, Emerging Infectious Diseases