The VEE virus occurs in northern South America, Central America, and Trinidad. The endemic disease is transmitted by mosquitoes. Aerosol transmission has occurred in laboratory settings, but is not known to occur naturally. The epizootic VEE virus has an incubation period of 1 to 15 days. The usual presentation is an undifferentiated febrile illness with fever, malaise, and headache.
Fever can remit but recur the following day.
Patients may be incapacitated by malaise and fatigue for 1 to 2 weeks. The case fatality rate in adults is approximately 1 percent of all cases, but may reach 10 percent with CNS involvement. The University of Iowa. All rights reserved.