CDC Confirms New Tick-Borne Disease In Missouri - "Heartland Virus" Cuts Platelet Production

[hatrack]

Two Missouri farmers have been infected with a brand-new tick-borne virus that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is calling the Heartland virus.

The men recovered but suffered serious illness that required hospital care and weeks of convalescence. Symptoms included fever, severe fatigue, headache and nausea. Their platelet counts plummeted, but even though platelets are necessary for blood clotting, the men didn't suffer abnormal bleeding.

A report on the new virus is in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

So far, the Missouri men are the only known cases of Heartland virus in the world. But experts are sure they'll find more. After all, the men lived 60 miles apart and got infected independently. That means there must be more of the mysterious new virus in the northwest Missouri environment.

"We expect to find new cases," Dr. William Nicholson of the CDC told Shots. "We expect this thing may be wider in geographic distribution than we currently know."

EDIT

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/08/29/160272241/mysterious-new-heartland-virus-discovered-in-missouri?ft=1&f=1025

[psychmommy]

1. kick

[xchrom]

2. Du rec. Nt

[xmas74]

3. St Joe isn't that far away.

It's within 90 minutes to no more than two hours from me.

[phantom power]

4. hoo ra

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. Guess all the fur children will get flea AND tick protection from now on..

Gosh, we have to worry about West Nile virus from the increased hordes of mosquitoes this year
and now new tick viruses....arrrgghh.

[glinda]

6. Pig Pharma will love that!