About Cache Valley Virus

For Everyone

Key points

  • Cache Valley virus spreads to people through bites from infected mosquitoes.
  • Cache Valley virus disease (Cache Valley) is uncommon but can be severe.
  • Symptoms can include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and rash.
  • No vaccines or medicines are available to prevent or treat Cache Valley.
  • You can reduce your risk of infection by preventing mosquito bites.
Woman applying insect repellant on her arm.

Overview

Cache Valley is an uncommon disease caused by a virus spread by infected mosquitoes. Very few cases of Cache Valley have been reported in the United States. All have occurred in late spring through early fall.

Symptoms

The incubation period (time from mosquito bite to symptom onset) is not currently known but is likely a few days to 2 weeks.

Initial symptoms

Initial symptoms can include:

  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Fatigue
  • Sometimes rash

Severe illness

Cache Valley virus can cause more severe illness, including inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or the membranes around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis).

Symptoms of severe illness include:

  • Stiff neck
  • Confusion
  • Loss of coordination
  • Difficulty speaking
  • Seizures

Some patients with severe disease have died.

How it spreads

Cache Valley virus spreads to people through bites of infected mosquitoes. Rarely, the virus can also spread through blood transfusions.

Keep Reading Cache Valley: Causes and How It Spreads

Prevention

No vaccines are available to prevent Cache Valley. Reduce your risk of infection from Cache Valley virus by preventing mosquito bites.

Keep Reading Preventing Cache Valley

Testing and diagnosis

See your healthcare provider if you have symptoms after being exposed to mosquitoes. Your healthcare provider can order tests to look for Cache Valley virus or other infections that cause similar symptoms.

For Health Care Providers Clinical Features and Diagnosis of Cache Valley Virus Disease

Treatment

No medications are available to treat Cache Valley. Antibiotics do not treat viruses.

  • Rest, fluids, and over-the-counter pain medications may relieve some symptoms.
  • People with severe illness often need to be hospitalized to receive support for breathing, staying hydrated, or reducing swelling in the brain.

For healthcare providers: Treatment and Prevention of Cache Valley Virus Disease

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Content Source:
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)