The first known case of Bourbon virus, a rare illness with no known treatment that's caused by a bite from a Lone Star tick, was confirmed in New York earlier this year. HIDDEN HAZARD: HOW TO STAY SAFE FROM HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS THIS SUMMER"This one case certainly was the Bourbon virus, and over a one-month period antibody titers increased eight-fold. The Bourbon virus was discovered in 2014, and named after Bourbon County, Kansas, where it was discovered. "For these reasons, the Bourbon virus is likely more prevalent than we think in our region and other cases are likely not being diagnosed." Bourbon virus remains rare compared to other more well-known and researched tickborne illnesses like Lyme disease.