The Same Tick Behind the First Deadly Bourbon Virus Case in New York Can Also Give You a Lifelong Meat Allergy
by Jerome London · Thought CatalogUpdated 35 minutes ago, July 31, 2026
A single tick bite in New York has been linked to the state’s first deadly case of Bourbon virus — and the same species carries a second, stranger threat that can follow you for the rest of your life.
One tick bite in Suffolk County left Michael Larkin, 67, with a rash, fever, night sweats and headaches no antibiotic could touch.
The same lone star tick that infected him with an untreatable virus can also rewire your immune system to reject red meat for life.
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