Heartland virus disease is a relatively new tick-borne illness that was discovered in 2009. Most tick-borne diseases, from Lyme disease to Rocky Mountain spotted fever, share similar flu-like symptoms at their onset. The new virus was named Heartland virus, after Heartland Regional Medical Center, where the patients were diagnosed. In the 13 years since its discovery, more than 50 cases of Heartland virus disease have been identified in people living in the southern and midwestern US. Why are there so many new viruses in the world ?
