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Source: http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/...s-of-zika.html
Virus killing Ontario lambs has troubling echoes of Zika
Veterinarians are alarmed at a recent outbreak of the little-known Cache Valley virus, which can cause birth defects in sheep. Among the many mysteries: what are the possible health risks to humans?
By: Jennifer Yang Global health reporter, Published on Mon Mar 21 2016
By now, the plot is familiar: A mysterious virus appears. The disease, spread by mosquitoes, is linked to an alarming surge in birth defects. There is no vaccine or treatment...
...The little-known Cache Valley virus has long circulated in Canada but veterinarians are alarmed by what they say is the largest outbreak in recent memory.
And there are reasons to worry about Cache Valley beyond its disturbing impact on baby lambs. While its risk to humans is currently low, there are signs that the virus could be causing more problems than we realize ? and, if it ever explodes the way Zika has, the world will be just as unprepared...
...For veterinarian Paula Menzies, the first sign of trouble in Ontario came around Christmas.
?It was like this huge explosion of cases,? said Menzies, a professor at Guelph University. ?Veterinarians were sending (us) these deformed fetuses and I got an email from a couple of (sheep) producers saying, ?This is happening on my farm. What the heck is this???
The answer, as a Texas laboratory later confirmed, was Cache Valley virus. First discovered in Utah in 1956, Cache Valley is spread by several mosquito species and is believed to circulate in deer. It mostly affects other ruminants, such as sheep and goats...
...What scientists do know is that Cache Valley can be transmitted to people by mosquito bites (humans don?t catch the virus directly from animals). To date, three human infections have been documented in the United States, all with dire consequences: meningitis, encephalitis, and death.
But experts suspect Cache Valley is probably causing more human disease then we realize. A 2012 study in Mexico found Cache Valley antibodies (suggesting previous exposure) in 18 per cent of 823 patients treated for fever...
Virus killing Ontario lambs has troubling echoes of Zika
Veterinarians are alarmed at a recent outbreak of the little-known Cache Valley virus, which can cause birth defects in sheep. Among the many mysteries: what are the possible health risks to humans?
By: Jennifer Yang Global health reporter, Published on Mon Mar 21 2016
By now, the plot is familiar: A mysterious virus appears. The disease, spread by mosquitoes, is linked to an alarming surge in birth defects. There is no vaccine or treatment...
...The little-known Cache Valley virus has long circulated in Canada but veterinarians are alarmed by what they say is the largest outbreak in recent memory.
And there are reasons to worry about Cache Valley beyond its disturbing impact on baby lambs. While its risk to humans is currently low, there are signs that the virus could be causing more problems than we realize ? and, if it ever explodes the way Zika has, the world will be just as unprepared...
...For veterinarian Paula Menzies, the first sign of trouble in Ontario came around Christmas.
?It was like this huge explosion of cases,? said Menzies, a professor at Guelph University. ?Veterinarians were sending (us) these deformed fetuses and I got an email from a couple of (sheep) producers saying, ?This is happening on my farm. What the heck is this???
The answer, as a Texas laboratory later confirmed, was Cache Valley virus. First discovered in Utah in 1956, Cache Valley is spread by several mosquito species and is believed to circulate in deer. It mostly affects other ruminants, such as sheep and goats...
...What scientists do know is that Cache Valley can be transmitted to people by mosquito bites (humans don?t catch the virus directly from animals). To date, three human infections have been documented in the United States, all with dire consequences: meningitis, encephalitis, and death.
But experts suspect Cache Valley is probably causing more human disease then we realize. A 2012 study in Mexico found Cache Valley antibodies (suggesting previous exposure) in 18 per cent of 823 patients treated for fever...