Kansas Says New Virus Found After Resident’s Death

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Health officials say a new virus has been discovered following the death of a southeast Kansas resident this summer and they believe it is carried by ticks or other insects.

The state Department of Health and Environment said Monday that testing by the federal Centers for Disease Control confirmed the presence of what’s now called the Bourbon virus. It’s named for Bourbon County, where the victim lived.

KDHE spokeswoman Aimee Rosenow said it’s the only confirmed case of the virus.

Rosenow said it’s not clear exactly how the virus contributed to the patient’s death. The department declined to identify the Kansas resident who died, saying it wanted to protect the patient and family members.

The department said the patient’s symptoms resembled those from other tick-carried diseases.