The Office of the Chief Provincial Veterinarian was notified by an Alberta veterinarian in January 2024 of a confirmed case of Cache Valley Virus in a sheep flock located in Strathcona County. This mosquito-borne virus can cause fetal deaths and severe fetal malformations in ruminants. Though rare, human infections causing neurological disease and organ failure have occurred in the USA.
Cache Valley Virus has previously been detected in livestock in other Canadian provinces and in mosquitos in Alberta; however, this is believed to be the first confirmed infection in livestock in Alberta. While Cache Valley Virus is not a regulated livestock disease in Alberta, we appreciate the notification provided by the herd veterinarian and are communicating this finding for practitioner awareness.