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IDemo

(16,926 posts) Fri Feb 20, 2015, 08:59 PM Feb 2015

New Killer Virus Found in Kansas

Source: NBC

Scientists are reporting on a new virus, never seen before anywhere, that apparently killed a Kansas man last year.

They're calling it Bourbon virus, after the county in Kansas where the previously healthy man lived. He'd been bitten by ticks before he got sick so doctors believe the virus is carried by ticks.

"We were not looking for a new virus," said Charles Hunt, Kansas state epidemiologist, who helped report on the new virus.

"We are surprised. We really don't know much about this virus. It's important to find out more from a public health perspective. It is possible that other persons have been infected with this and not known it?"

Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/new-killer-virus-found-kansas-n309961

20 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

New Killer Virus Found in Kansas (Original Post) IDemo Feb 2015 OP

It's Kansasistan Cary Feb 2015 #1

Brownbacking? nt onehandle Feb 2015 #2

Brownpacking! Historic NY Feb 2015 #3

This is no joke if it starts to spread Warpy Feb 2015 #4

Yes, no joke. Even if it doesn't spread, that SheilaT Feb 2015 #5

Pretty crazy that we can do this now. F4lconF16 Feb 2015 #6

It's lamestream media. AngryDem001 Feb 2015 #9

Yep....and they do it because it works like a charm every time. Fred Sanders Feb 2015 #16

Scientists?! What do they know? rpannier Feb 2015 #7

Yikes. SoapBox Feb 2015 #8

I wonder if this can infect wildlife as wel? herding cats Feb 2015 #10

the article says it belongs to a family of viruses previously known to only infect animals nashville_brook Feb 2015 #20

There are many viruses and bacteria that we know little or nothing about. bemildred Feb 2015 #11

Yes. And when we do know just about everything about a virus and know it is not easy to spread Fred Sanders Feb 2015 #17

I wonder how many GOP pols "believe" this vs. those who'll call it a theory. nt valerief Feb 2015 #12

I'd like to know precisely where in Kansas... KansDem Feb 2015 #13

90 miles straight south of Olathe, near the Missouri border. CanonRay Feb 2015 #14

Ah, yes...thanks! KansDem Feb 2015 #18

... Dont call me Shirley Feb 2015 #15

The Bourbon virus? Trillo Feb 2015 #19

Cary

(11,746 posts)

1. It's Kansasistan

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Fri Feb 20, 2015, 09:09 PM

Feb 2015

The virus is called The Stupid and it eats brains.

onehandle

(51,122 posts)

2. Brownbacking? nt

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Fri Feb 20, 2015, 09:36 PM

Feb 2015

Historic NY

(37,449 posts)

3. Brownpacking!

Reply to onehandle (Reply #2)

Fri Feb 20, 2015, 09:58 PM

Feb 2015

Warpy

(111,265 posts)

4. This is no joke if it starts to spread

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Fri Feb 20, 2015, 10:11 PM

Feb 2015

but chances are it's one of those old diseases like hantavirus that is just so rare that it went undetected for centuries except in folklore.

What is really striking about this one is the immune system collapse, almost like a fast HIV.

SheilaT

(23,156 posts)

5. Yes, no joke. Even if it doesn't spread, that

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Fri Feb 20, 2015, 10:35 PM

Feb 2015

poor man died a miserable death.

There are always new diseases turning up, either genuinely new or something that had been hidden for a long time. I am not one of those who thinks we are very lucky a killer pandemic hasn't shown up already, mainly because medical knowledge and treatment is for the most part very good. In addition, basic hygiene, such as hand washing, and not living directly with our farm animals (common in Europe in the Middle Ages) really do make a difference. And that's not even taking into consideration vaccines.

F4lconF16

(3,747 posts)

6. Pretty crazy that we can do this now.

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Fri Feb 20, 2015, 11:28 PM

Feb 2015

Also, did the headline really need to be so panicky?

AngryDem001

(684 posts)

9. It's lamestream media.

Reply to F4lconF16 (Reply #6)

Sat Feb 21, 2015, 12:25 AM

Feb 2015

Panic and fear is what brings in the clicks and views.

Fred Sanders

(23,946 posts)

16. Yep....and they do it because it works like a charm every time.

Reply to AngryDem001 (Reply #9)

Sat Feb 21, 2015, 11:31 AM

Feb 2015

rpannier

(24,329 posts)

7. Scientists?! What do they know?

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Fri Feb 20, 2015, 11:59 PM

Feb 2015

They'll just prey (sic) it away
Unless they find out pharma can make a fortune on it

SoapBox

(18,791 posts)

8. Yikes.

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Sat Feb 21, 2015, 12:13 AM

Feb 2015

herding cats

(19,564 posts)

10. I wonder if this can infect wildlife as wel?

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Sat Feb 21, 2015, 01:39 AM

Feb 2015

Lyme Disease, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are all tickborne disease which can be transmitted to both humans and wildlife. There may be others I'm missing, but there are also several tickborne disease which only infect humans to my knowledge. I'm not meaning to come across as heartless in the death of this man, but I'm curious as to exactly what species this disease could, and possibly has been, infecting.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)

20. the article says it belongs to a family of viruses previously known to only infect animals

Reply to herding cats (Reply #10)

Sat Feb 21, 2015, 06:17 PM

Feb 2015

the article then discusses whether climate change is to blame for the sudden jump to humans.

all very interesting...but I also wonder if this was something that was known in livestock, since it appeared in an agricultural state.

bemildred

(90,061 posts)

11. There are many viruses and bacteria that we know little or nothing about.

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Sat Feb 21, 2015, 04:38 AM

Feb 2015

Probably 90% or more, we don't know anything.

Fred Sanders

(23,946 posts)

17. Yes. And when we do know just about everything about a virus and know it is not easy to spread

Reply to bemildred (Reply #11)

Sat Feb 21, 2015, 11:32 AM

Feb 2015

then -even then - the mass media refuses to say so for fear of losing their grip on fear mongering.

Fearbola was the trial run for the media to see how far they can go in releasing the in house developed Fear Virus on command.

And the Fear Virus IS airborne...and cableborne.

valerief

(53,235 posts)

12. I wonder how many GOP pols "believe" this vs. those who'll call it a theory. nt

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Sat Feb 21, 2015, 08:15 AM

Feb 2015

KansDem

(28,498 posts)

13. I'd like to know precisely where in Kansas...

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Sat Feb 21, 2015, 09:07 AM

Feb 2015

"Eastern Kansas" covers a lot of ground.

CanonRay

(14,103 posts)

14. 90 miles straight south of Olathe, near the Missouri border.

Reply to KansDem (Reply #13)

Sat Feb 21, 2015, 10:05 AM

Feb 2015

Town of Bourbon, Kansas.

KansDem

(28,498 posts)

18. Ah, yes...thanks!

Reply to CanonRay (Reply #14)

Sat Feb 21, 2015, 12:37 PM

Feb 2015

I missed that.

I recognize the town of "Fort Scott" having passed through there many years ago.

Fort Scott is a city in and the county seat of Bourbon County, Kansas,[6] 88 miles (142 km) south of Kansas City, on the Marmaton River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,087.[7] It is the home of the Fort Scott National Historic Site and the Fort Scott National Cemetery. Fort Scott is named for Gen. Winfield Scott.[8]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Scott,_Kansas

Dont call me Shirley

(10,998 posts)

15. ...

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Sat Feb 21, 2015, 10:22 AM

Feb 2015

Trillo

(9,154 posts)

19. The Bourbon virus?

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Sat Feb 21, 2015, 03:34 PM

Feb 2015

Anyone else detect a bit of prohibition?

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