CDC: Novel Virus Killed Kansas Man

Pathogen is similar to others carried by ticks and mosquitoes, agency says. Naming it the Bourbon virus after the county where the man had lived, researchers from the CDC, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and the University of Kansas classified the agent as a new member of the Thogotovirus genus, others of which are known to cause human disease. Advertisement Other Thogotovirus species -- none of which have been seen in the Western Hemisphere -- are known to be carried by ticks and mosquitoes, the researchers said in their report, appearing online in the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. He reported numerous tick bites in the days prior to falling ill. He was consequently treated with doxycycline, but there was no improvement and he shortly developed multi-organ failure, dying of cardiopulmonary arrest 11 days after symptom onset. His blood was tested for known tickborne diseases but these were negative. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/GeneralInfectiousDisease/50124?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-02-21&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily