Human infections with a dangerous mosquito-borne disease called Cache Valley virus (CVV) may be more common in the United States and Mexico than previously thought. The disease, discovered decades ago, mainly has been seen as a threat to livestock, with only seven cases ever documented in humans—all in the United States, two fatal and two causing severe neurologic problems—according to a presentation at the 2023 annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, held in Chicago (poster 5255).
CVV is a mosquito-borne virus in the genus Orthobunyavirus, family Peribunyaviridae that has been identified as a teratogen in ruminants causing fetal death and severe malformations.
CDC scientists have developed a new test for detecting immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies, which are present during infection with the virus and shortly thereafter, using capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. It offers a simpler alternative to other diagnostic methods, which require working with the live virus in biosafety level 2 biocontainment and do not indicate timing of the infection, they said.