Rare virus discovered in common tick

Scientists not yet sure of risk to humans A rare virus has been found in ticks that are common in the southeastern United States. The Tacaribe virus is a so-called arenavirus. Some of the viruses in this family are associated with severe hemorrhagic (bleeding) disease and high death rates among people in South America and sub-Saharan Africa, according to the University of Florida researchers. The virus has never before been found in animals or people in the United States, but the researchers found it in nearly 10 percent of Lone Star ticks they trapped in north central Florida. “This finding is exciting because it expands the range in which these viruses might be circulating in the environment,” study author Katherine Sayler said in a university news release. “It also raises some really interesting questions about human risk,” she added. “We never thought we would find an arenavirus in a tick. These types of viruses are...