Key points
- Cache Valley virus disease (Cache Valley) is an uncommon but severe disease.
- Typical signs and symptoms include stiff neck, confusion, loss of coordination, difficulty speaking, or seizures.
- If you think you might have Cache Valley, visit your healthcare provider.
- There are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat Cache Valley.
- Rest, fluids, and pain medications may relieve symptoms.
Symptoms
There have been relatively few cases of Cache Valley identified in the United States. The incubation period (time from mosquito bite to symptoms onset) is not currently known but is likely a few days to two weeks.
- Initial symptoms can include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and sometimes rash.
- Cache Valley virus can cause severe disease, including inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or the membranes around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis).
- Symptoms of severe disease (meningitis or encephalitis) include stiff neck, confusion, loss of coordination, difficulty speaking, or seizures.
- Some patients with severe disease have died.
- Symptoms of severe disease (meningitis or encephalitis) include stiff neck, confusion, loss of coordination, difficulty speaking, or seizures.
Diagnosis
If you think you or a family member might have Cache Valley, talk with your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider can order tests to look for Cache Valley virus infection or other infections that cause similar symptoms.
More information on diagnostic testing is available on the For Healthcare Providers page.
Treatment
- There are no medications to prevent or treat Cache Valley. Antibiotics do not treat viruses.
- Rest, fluids, and over-the-counter pain medications may relieve some symptoms.
- People with severe disease often need to be hospitalized to receive support for breathing, staying hydrated, or reducing swelling in the brain.
To learn more about treatment, visit our Healthcare Providers page.