An extremely rare and deadly new virus has now been reported in two separate states. Known as Bourbon virus, it has been reported in Oklahoma and Kansas, and it's spread through one of the biggest nuisances in the woods: ticks.
KFOR-TV reports that a patient in Oklahoma came down with the virus early this month, making it the second case in the United States. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, rash, muscle pain, and joint pain.
Since Bourbon virus is so rare, there's not much known about it so far. Though the victim in the Oklahoma case made a full recovery, the first and only other case was deadly. That case was reported in Bourbon County, Kansas in spring 2014, which gave the virus its name. That patient was a farmer who reported getting several tick bites while working in the fields, Vox reports. A doctor assumed it was another tick-borne virus and treated him for that, but the farmer sadly ended up dying from the virus.
There's no test available to determine whether you have the virus, but officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urge you to speak with your doctor if you think you might have symptoms. There's no medicine to treat the virus itself, but there are ways to treat the symptoms through fluids and pain medicine.
To protect yourself from Bourbon virus—as well as Lyme disease—the CDC recommends you stay away from bushy and wooded areas, which tend to be where ticks make their home. Officials also recommend you use insect repellent and wear long sleeves and pants when you're going outdoors, and do thorough tick checks once you're done exploring.