Category: tick

Tick-Borne Brain Disease Virus Found in 4 Areas: UKHSA

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned the public to avoid ticks after links were found between the bugs and cases of brain disease in four areas of the UK. The agency stressed that the risk of infection is very low to the general population, but greater awareness is needed among locals and hospital staff….


Illinois Resident Tests Positive for Tick-Borne Heartland Virus

An older person who lives in rural Jackson County has become the third individual to test positive for the tick-borne Heartland virus in Illinois since 2018. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) said in a press release on Aug. 23 that the older individual had “recently” tested positive for the virus, for which there is…


Lone Star Tick Carrying Heartland Virus Found in Georgia: Researchers

Lone star ticks carrying a virus that could potentially prove fatal to humans have been discovered in Georgia, a new study reported Wednesday. The Heartland virus is an emerging infectious disease that can cause symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, fatigue, muscle or joint pain, headache, nausea, and a loss of appetite, according to the Centers for Disease Control and…


New Tick-Borne Virus Found in Japan

Researchers in Japan have discovered an infectious tick-borne virus in Hokkaido that can infect humans, according to a study published in Nature on Sept. 20. “At least seven people have been infected with this new virus in Japan since 2014, but, so far, no deaths have been confirmed,” said Keita Matsuno, a virologist at Hokkaido…