Sandfly-borne diseases - viruses

The sandfly-transmitted viruses are all in the Bunyavirus group, the Phleboviruses; some 45 viruses are associated with sandflies globally. Some Phleboviruses are transmitted by mosquitoes, e.g. Rift Valley fever, and some by ticks, such as Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever. The sandfly-transmitted fevers identified in Europe include Arbia virus, Corfou virus, Naples virus, Radi virus, Sicilian virus and Toscana virus. Arbia virus has been isolated from the sandflies Phlebotomus perniciosus and P. perfiliewi in Italy, and Corfou virus from P. major on Corfu Island, Greece. Neither of these viruses appear to be of public health importance.

The three sandfly-transmitted Phleboviruses in the Mediterranean region causing human disease are Sicilian virus, Naples virus and Toscana virus. Sandfly fever is an acute, self-limited flu-like illness of 2–5 days duration. Onset is sudden with a fever, severe frontal headache, low back pain, myalgia, marked conjunctival secretion, malaise and occasionally nausea. Recovery is complete. No deaths from sandfly fever have been reported although weakness and depression may persist for a week or more after acute illness (Tesh, 1989). The public health importance of sandfly fever lies in the large numbers of non-immune persons, such as tourists or military, who may fall ill with the infection after entering an endemic area.