Almost all of the cases occur as single, isolated events.
Outbreaks are rare.
Anyone can get viral meningitis but it occurs most often in children. Occasionally, children will have viral meningitis associated with mumps or herpes virus infection. Mosquito-borne viruses also account for a few cases each year. In many cases, the specific virus cannot be identified. Because a number of different viruses are capable of causing viral meningitis, the manner in which the virus is spread depends upon the type of virus involved.